A new Horizon
by lizzytish
Summary: It's my futuristic fan fic. All New Charaters. All new stuff
1. The Info-NOT CHAPTER 1

A new Horizon- the next higher ground  
  
Disclaimer- I own no original higher ground characters. But I made all new ones.  
  
  
  
Note-This is a futuristic like fan fic. It takes place in 2005, after all the original cliffhangers (Scott, Shelby, Auggie, Juliet, Daisy, Ezra, and   
Katherine have graduated) and Peter and Sophie are married.  
  
This is not the first chapter it is an intro to the story. I'm going to introduce the characters and stuff. I want you to tell me if you like the idea or not in your reviews cause if a lot of people don't like it then I will not continue it.  
  
  
The Horizon campus hasn't changed much in the last six years. With the help of Chloe and the patrons (former business partners of Peters) they had repaired the damaged buildings. Many of them having been there since the school had been built almost 25 years before.  
  
  
Peter and Sophie have been happily married for over 4 years now. Because they both wanted to have children in 2002 they adopted their first child Anthony who was 10 at the time; he is now thirteen and a student at the school in town. Then in 2004 they adopted their baby girl Anne Marie, who is now 2 years old.   
  
In town Rusty's is still there and still owned by Ginger. Curtis is still the sheriff of the town. They got married in 2003 and have a 18 month old son Parker along with now 12 year old Ginger.  
  
The staff at Horizon is still it hand. Ray is still there and still teaching English. Jeff is married to Jill, the mail lady. He is still a teacher at Horizon and teaches Math and Science. Katherine came back to be a counselor and is taking classes at the local collage to get her pH. D.   
  
All of the former Cliffhangers come and go sometimes. Daisy is at Cornell Collage on their pre-med. program. Ezra is an independent film maker and comedy actor. Juliet and Auggie are living together in an apartment in San Francisco, Juliet is a speaker for eating disorders and self-mutilation at local high schools and clinics, while Auggie is an aspiring painter. They will soon be moving to Iowa. Scott and Shelby decided after their Horizon days to stay friend and someday maybe get married as Juliet and Auggie plan to. But right now they are separated and going to different collages, making the best of their long distance relationship. Scott is on a football scholarship at a top school, he is still undecided on what he wants to become but Peter will help him with that. Shelby is at LeMoyne Collage in New York. There she is working on pre-law and soon hopes to go to Harvard, she wants to help innocent victims get a say in what happens in their lives.  
  
  
THE NEW KIDS:  
  
Aiken Gregory- 16 1/2- male. Birthdate: 3/1/1989. He is like the Katherine of the original cliffhangers in the sense he's been there the longest. He's been there almost 2 1/4 years now. He's originally from Vermont and was living with his grandparents. His father in a custody dispute took him from his biological mother when he was 5. From then on his mom didn't care. His father was messed up to say the least and Aiken was taken away from him when he was 13, he lived with his grandparents but them being old and Aiken having problems with dealing with the past and his life he became a bit destructive. His grandparents sent him to Horizon in 2003, the same year that the last original cliffhanger graduated. He started the new legacy  
  
Alley Thomas- 16- female- Birthdate: 5/7/1989. She's been at Horizon for about a year and a half. She's the senior Girl cliffhanger and originally from Ohio. After her father and mothers tragic death in a car crash that killed not only them but also her twin brother Adam and which she was the only survivor she for a while lost the will to live. She turned to drugs to numb the pain of her loss. This was made especially hard when the state not being able to find any of her relatives sent to her to a foster home. She's tried to commit suicide once or twice. The thing is though is that she believes she can communicate with Adam because of the special bond they had as twins  
  
Jamie Brown- 15 1/2 -female Birthdate: 9/3/90. She's kind of the Juliet of the group. Her life in Upstate New York was almost perfect until her life took a downward spiral after her parent's messy divorce. To make it worse there is a hidden aspect that no one at horizon knows. That's for her to know and them to find out. She took the divorce extraordinarily harder than her brother Jacob, who took advantage of the turmoil to lash out also in another way. He wasn't as self destructive as his sister but he did do some stuff.  
  
Jacob Brown- 14- male Birthdate:2/17/91. He's Jamie's brother. He to the divorce of his parents pretty hard to but he was not as self destructive as Jamie. Instead of hurting himself he hurt others. He got in fights any chance he got and did some drugs. He though younger is protective of his sister. Only he knows her secret, and he promised he would never tell. He thinks it will destroy her even more if he tells, though in reality it is eating her up inside.  
  
Max Parks- 15- male Birthdate; 6/7/91. He is the scholarship fund student for the year. In otherworlds he's another charity case. He is originally from New York. He never knew his father. And his mother is a drug- abusing prostitute. He's had a hard life that people don't know about. He is the newbie at Horizon.   
  
Rylan Montgomery- 16- female Birthdate: 12/24/00. She's kind of the Shelby/Auggie of the group. She's got that tough icy thing about her but also that whitty slid knowledge that comes with it. She is straight to the point and brutally honest. Her past is basically a blur to her. Having blocked out much of the years before she turned 14 and went to live with her aunt and Uncle. They love her very much and want her to live with them but sent her to horizon to get the help she needs.  
  
Andrew Scott-15 3/4- Male- Birthdate 9/30/90. He's a Scott/Ezra kinda guy. He's the oldest of 3 children. His parents didn't care about him when he was younger unless of course he did something wrong or made them look bad. He devoted his life to protecting his younger Brother Danny, and Sister Hailey. Including making the ultimate sacrifice for them. But when he was 14 they were ripped away from him and placed in a foster home together, he was placed somewhere else. The foster family he's with is great, they really are and he knows it but the thought of his brother and sister brings back so much pain and he always wonders if it was all worth it at all. In the beginning at the foster home he did drugs, then got in fights, then stole. It kept coming and going. Andrew decided himself that he needed to go to horizon. It might be the only way he can get back to his brother and sister.  
  
  
  
There you have it. You have your all new characters in this story that have aspects like those of the originals. I hope you all think it sounds good. Tell me if you think I need to change anyone or anything. I want all reviews, good and bad  



	2. Comings and Goings- really the first cha...

A new Horizon- Chapter 1- Comings and Goings  
  
Disclaimer- I Do not own: Peter, Sophie, Scott, Shelby, Hank, Katherine, Daisy, Ezra, Frank, Auggie, Juliet, Curtis, Ginger, Grace, Jeff, Hannah or Roger, they belong to FFC, BUT I do OWN everyone else :)  
  
NOTE: This is a futuristic Fanfic. It takes place in 2005. All of the original cliffhangers are gone. There is a whole new group. At this time Katherine has just come. It is the first week of September. Everyone is at Horizon except for Jamie and Jacob Brown. They are on week leave from school and are returning today.   
  
Peter and Sophie Scarbrow stood in front of the admitting building of Mount Horizon. It was the start of the fall semester and new students would be coming and old students coming back. They had watched over the years as students came and left. Some got better and some didn't. But Peter like the philosophy said you couldn't measure yourself in achievements or failures in life. Especially at a school like horizon. There were always little successes and they surmounted the failure.  
  
The first car that came up that the recognized was a blue van. It belonged to Katherine. She was an original cliffhanger. Peter and Sophie always tried to be impartial to the students of the school. But the cliffhanger teens were always Peter's favorite. They were some of the toughest kids around. Katherine had been one of them and every time Peter looked in her eyes he had the strength to keep the mission that Frank had started. Thinking of him brought a tear to Peter's eyes. Frank had started horizon after the suicide of his son almost 28 years ago. During the summer Frank had passed away and left Peter the school in his will  
  
"Hey Peter!" Katherine said with a smile as she got out of the van and hugged him and Sophie.  
  
Katherine had come back as a counselor. She had promised that ever since Hannah had left the year that Katherine Graduated that she would become a certified counselor and come back to Horizon, the school that had changed her life so much. Looking in Peter's face she could sense the safeness she had felt all those years there again.  
  
"Welcome Back Kat." Sophie said hugging her again.  
  
Katherine looked around. Though not much had changed, the buildings and things were still there and everything. But there was a strange sense that was different. It brought a ghostly feeling, one that you can never figure out but is always plaguing your mind tying to figure it out. Maybe it was the fact she was back again for a while, after being away for around 5 years. But it was also something else.  
  
"It seams so different without him here doesn't it?" Katherine said referring to Frank.  
  
"Yes," Peter said. "It's different. But he's still here. In these mountains are his spirit. And in each one of the lives he changed in all of you he's still here. He lives in us and we need to keep his dream alive."  
  
The three walked to the Admitting lodge. When there they went into Peter's office for a while.  
  
"So why did you come back Kat?" Sophie asked.  
  
Katherine pondered for a moment, trying to figure out the exact way to put what she felt inside. She had rehearsed what to answer to the questions hundreds of times on the way here but at that moment it all disappeared.  
  
"I wanted to give back.' She said and looked at Peter. "I have wanted to give back to Horizon, to you to frank, to Hannah, even to you Sophie. Ever since Hannah left. I made a promise, to her to myself to this school, that I would come back. I would help those that were like me that were like all of us cliffhangers."  
  
"I know you will be good at what you do here Katherine. You've made all of us very proud." Peter said with a smile on his face.   
  
Every time Peter looked at Katherine he saw her in the old days. The days when she was still a student. With Juliet, and Scott, and even Ezra. She had changed a bit since that day 5 years ago when she graduated. All of the students had. Juliet had over come her self-mutilation and was now speaking up against it. Scott, though still loving football was beginning to choose what he wanted to do with his life. All of the teens he had taught once were changing for the better.  
  
"So are you ready to meet some of your Cliffhangers?" Sophie asked.  
  
"Yeah sure why not." Katherine said and started to follow Sophie.  
  
They were walking towards the boys' dorm room when a bus pulled up. A young boy got off and ran over to the two.  
  
"Mom." The kid shouted.  
  
Sophie and Katherine turned around. The boy stopped in front of them. He looked at Sophie and then at Katherine. When seeing Katherine he looked her up and down puzzled.  
  
"Hey Anthony." Katherine said with a smile on her face.  
  
"Hey hon." Sophie said as she hugged her son.  
  
"So Kat. I heard your teaching?" Anthony said as he followed his mom and Katherine to the guys' dorms  
  
Katherine remembered when she heard that Peter and Sophie had adopted their first child. Anthony was 10 at the time, abandoned at birth and switched between foster homes his whole life he was their dream come true. Peter had always wanted children, and with Sophie unable conceive, adoption was their only choice available. They were great parents and Anthony had turned out wonderful. He had his parents love for the daredevil sports and he could rock climb as well as both his parents.  
  
"So how was your first day of school?" Sophie asked her son.  
  
"It was okay. Grace kept coming and talking to me. We hung out a lot today." Anthony said a hint of resentment in his voice.  
  
Girls were still enemy lines for this 13-year-old. He didn't mind Grace's company exactly; he had known her for 3 years. But it was when she was all flirty with him that he cared.  
  
"How is Grace?" Katherine asked, remembering the little 6-year-old girl that the cliffhangers once had to save.  
  
"Great, except when she acts all girly. Then she's a pain." Anthony said as he and the group stepped up the stairs.  
  
When at the door Sophie knocked. She gave a couple of minutes before going in. When she got there only one of the boys was there.  
  
"Hi Aiken." Sophie said to the boy.  
  
The boy, Aiken, stood up. His tan skin glistened in the light. His mother had been Puerto Rican and his father Caucasian. His dark hair fell almost to his eyes. He walked over to them and looked at Katherine.  
  
"Hi Sophie." He said.  
  
"Katherine, this is Aiken Gregory." Sophie said introducing the two. "Aiken, this is Katherine Cabot. She's the new counselor."  
  
Katherine and Aiken exchanged hellos.  
  
"She was once a Cliffhanger herself. This is the Kat Peter talks about all the time." Sophie said clearing that up.  
  
"You mean the one that climbed Dog's Peak?" Aiken said in surprise and awe.  
  
Katherine thought back. She was only the 26th student to do that, to place her graduation flag on Dog's Peak. It was a hard hike, with a lot of obstacles; many made by Peter and Sophie. And from what she had guessed from Aiken's surprise not many had done it after her either.  
  
"Yeah. I'll have to take you guys there sometime.' Katherine said as she looked around the dorm room. She started walking around.  
  
"That was Scott's bed, and Auggie, an Ezra's bed too. And even David's." Katherine said as she walked around for a minute.   
  
All signs of them were gone. That is except for the time when they had carved their names in the wall right before they all graduated. Nearly invisible to you unless you knew where to look. Right above the window closest to the bathroom. It overlooked the girl's dorms. And she knew that opposite that window in the Girls dorm was the signatures of her, Juliet, Daisy, and Shelby.  
  
"Where is everyone else?" Katherine asked finally snapping back to reality.  
  
"Um. Let's see," Sophie said thinking in her mind. "Jacob and Jamie are coming back today, they had a one week visit. Then Andy's somewhere. Where is he anyway Aiken?"  
  
"Andy went to the library in town with Hank." Aiken said.  
  
"Hank?" Katherine asked.   
  
Hank was her boyfriend. He was a search and rescue townie. While Katherine was away at collage they had kept in touch and their love for each other has grown stronger. She thought he had mentioned volunteering at Horizon but she thought he was just joking.  
  
"Yes, your right." Sophie said answering for her.  
  
"Oh my God!!!!" Katherine screamed. "When will he be here. I didn't tell him I was coming yet. He'll freak out." She was so ecstatic.   
  
"Calm down. Let me let you meet the girls." Sophie said as they turned around. "Bye Aiken." She said.  
  
"Mom, can I stay here? Please?" Anthony asked begging.  
  
"Sure Honey. Aiken take care of him please. You are the senior member remember." Sophie said as they left.  
  
Going towards the girl's dorm the sky was getting darker. But they went in just as the rain started coming.  
  
"Hello Girls." Sophie said as she greeted 2 girls in the dorm. One of them had blond hair and green eyes. The other had almost red hair and brown eyes. They smiled at Sophie and Katherine.  
  
"Hey Sophie." The blond haired girl said.  
  
"Katherine, this is Rylan Montgomery, Rylan, Katherine, she's the new counselor." Sophie said introducing the blond.  
  
"And that's Alley Thomas." Rylan said as she went to sit back down.  
  
Sophie looked at her watch. "Jamie and Jacob should be back soon." She said to the girls.  
  
"How about calling a group after dinner?" Katherine suggested, "So I can really meet everyone."  
  
"That's a great Idea." Sophie said as they were leaving.   
  
The rain had died down by the time Sophie and Katherine had gotten back to the admitting office. They came inside in time to over hear Peter talking to someone.  
  
"You can't keep doing this." Peter said.  
  
"I know but I love her." Hank told Peter. 'I want her back so badly."  
  
"I know but that doesn't mean you can slack off on your obligations here. You can't take a week off to visit her. From this job or from the Search and Rescue team. Got that?" Peter said trying to sound angry.  
  
"Yeah Peter." Hank said sounding kind of down and defeated. "I understand. I have a commitment to keep."  
  
"Let me walk you to the door." Peter said and he and Hank walked to the door  
  
As Hank stepped out of the doorway Katherine had to try so hard not to scream. He was even more handsome than he had been last time. And she knew he was talking about her. Peter had set the whole thing up. As soon as she stepped out of the shadows the grim look on hanks face was turned into a look of pure joy.  
  
"Kat!" He yelled and ran to hug her. He picked her up and twirled her around. They started kissing and hugging some more.  
  
Sophie and Peter looked on for a moment and were hugging. Everything was happy. That is until they heard the baby crying.  
  
"Anne Marie." Sophie said as she went to Peter's office and picked up the two-year-old.  
  
But the crying only disturbed the two of them. Katherine and Hank were still at it when Peter, Sophie and the baby went out too meet Jacob and Jamie. The new year had officially begun.  



	3. Chapter 2-Free Chances

A new Horizon- Chapter 2- Free chances  
  
Disclaimer- all old higher ground characters don't belong to me. But I own all the new ones.  
  
In this part- Katherine holds her first Group session with varied results. Jamie runs out during group and Jacob confronts her. He shows he wants to belong.  
  
Note 1- the toilet paper game is a real game. I played it the first day of math class in 7th grade:)  
  
Note 2- Sorry If I got Katherine's sisters name wrong. I couldn't exactly remember it.  
  
  
  
The cliffhangers met in the Lodge for group shortly after dinner. All of them were there. Aiken, Rylan and Ally were sitting on the couch. Andy was sitting on the floor near the coffee table. And Jacob and Jamie, who had arrived just before dinner, were sitting in a large chair. Katherine, Sophie, and Peter were standing in-between all of them.  
  
"I hope all of you have met Katherine. She's the new counselor here as I've told you all before. Now let Katherine introduce herself a bit to you guys." Peter said.  
  
Instantly after being put on the spot like that Katherine felt insecure and nervous.  
  
"Take deep breaths and you'll be fine." She told herself. "Absolutely fine."  
  
"Well." She said out loud. "Here goes nothing. Hey guys. I know I've met almost all of you. But anyway. I'm Katherine, but you can call me Kat."  
  
"I went to Horizon for almost 3 years. During that time one of my good friends Hannah, was the counselor there. She really helped me see who I was. You see I was adopted, my adoptive parents were white. They had a daughter Rebecca. I was always a better swimmer than her, and a year older to. Once we went swimming and she always got on my nerves. So she asked if she could race against me. I said sure because I wanted her off my tail. Half way there Rebecca drowns. I blamed myself and I thought my parents did to, I mean she was really their daughter and I wasn't. The depression sent me here. And I realized it wasn't my fault." Katherine said.  
  
"So what'd you come back? I mean this isn't the best place to be. Its freaks central." Alley said sarcastically.  
  
"I know, but by the time you leave here, whether on good circumstances or bad, you will later in life realized that this school, and all the freaks in it have changed you. You might not feel it now or anytime soon but it will change you. It has me, and it has my friends, the people whose footsteps as cliffhangers you are following." Katherine said.  
  
The group had settled down by now. Katherine was one of them.  
  
"Okay now if Peter and Sophie can excuse me for a minute I need to get something for group." Katherine said and headed towards the supply room.  
  
She came back with a roll of Toilet Paper. She ripped of a couple of pieces and handed it to Jamie.  
  
"I want everyone to take some toilet paper. As much or as little as you want. After you've done so I want you to hand it to the person next you until it comes back to me."  
  
Everyone did as they were told, though there was a bit of complaining. By the time it got back to Katherine only about 1/2 a roll was left.  
  
"Okay everyone. This is an activity that I learned along time ago. While still in Junior High. Now that everyone has taken some toilet paper I want you to count the number of squares you have. When it comes to your turn the number of squares you have equals the number of things you have to tell the group about yourself. It can be your name, your favorite things, about your family. Virtually anything with at least some meaning so I and the rest of the group can know you better."  
  
The group after hearing the task ahead all groaned.  
  
"Aiken, why don't you go first." Katherine said.  
  
Aiken counted his sheet of paper. He ended up having 12 squares.  
  
"Okay, My name is Aiken Gregory. My first name might sound different but it's of Anglo-Saxon origin and means Sturdy. I'm an only child. I'm the senior member of the cliffhangers cause I've been here almost 2 1/2 years. My favorite sport is Basketball, or football if it's the fall." He said as he counted away 5 of his squares. "My favorite color is Blue, like practically everyone else. I grew up in Montana, Oklahoma, New York, Pennsylvania, Ontario Canada, and California. My dad moved a lot. I live with my grandparents when I'm not here. I'm graduating this year. I want to climb Dog's Peak. And finally I think this thing is really weird." He said as he threw the last sheet of his toilet paper on the ground  
  
  
"Rylan, want to go next?"  
  
Rylan was the one that wanted to show off everyone and take about half a roll. She ended up having somewhere between 15 and 18 sheets.   
  
"I'm Rylan. I'm 16 years old. I was born on Christmas Eve. I live with my aunt and uncle when I'm not here. I don't remember much about before living with them. It's all basically a big blur. My favorite color is Purple. 6- I have at home a pet lizard named Bob. 7- Bob is a girl."  
  
After hearing about the lizard a couple people in the group started laughing.  
  
"Settle down you guys." Katherine reminded them. "Go on Rylan."  
  
"8- I love eating ice cream with chocolate sauce. 9-My favorite movie is Rocket's Red Glare. 10- I hate onions on anything. 11- my favorite book of all time is A Rock and a Hard place. 12- I wish I hadn't taken so much toilet paper."  
  
Rylan looks down at her toilet paper squares like 'When is this going to end'  
  
"13-I like monkeys. 14. I to am an only child. 15, I will be so happy when I finish this thing. And 16- this is my final piece of paper." Rylan said saying her last thing.  
  
"Ally?"  
  
"I'm Alley, I have 5 pieces of toilet paper. I'm the senior girl here. I used to be a twin. And I'm here cause I did drugs a bit." Alley said depressed at the last two answers.  
  
"Andy? Why don't you go next."  
  
"What if I only have 1/2 a piece of paper for one square." He asked  
  
"Then you say something small."  
  
"Fine. I'm Andy. I'm a guy; I have a brother and a sister. CPS took them 2 years ago almost. I came here in January. 29 days till my birthday and dropping. I hope this game ends soon, and finally My favorite color is Yellow. That's 7 1/2 pieces of paper," Andy said as he ended his turn.  
  
"Can I go next?" Jacob asked.  
  
"How bout you let Jamie go before you Jacob okay?" Katherine asked, the girl seamed to be slipping away already. "Jamie. How about you."  
  
Jamie was a cheater, she only had 2 pieces of toilet paper and the answers to go with it.  
  
"My name is Jamie Brown. I'm 15." She said and then threw her papers to the floor.  
  
"I'm leaving. This game is stupid." Jamie said getting up. She hated any game that you got asked questions on. It might end up revealing something you don't want revealed.  
  
She started walking towards the door. Every one looked. Though few apart she often had outbursts like this. Katherine looked at Peter and Sophie on what to do. They just gave her a puzzled look. Finally Jacob ran after his sister.  
  
  
  
"Jamie, wait up." Jacob shouted as he ran out of the lodge after his sister.  
  
Jamie would have run faster. The fresh mud kept sucking in her feet making her slower. She knew Jacob would run after he. He always had ever since he had been able to walk.  
  
Jamie showed no signs of recognition in her actions. She didn't stop or slow down for Jacob. He ran after her all the same though. Finally he caught up to her just as she got to the Cliffhanger Girl's dorm. He grabbed her arm and dragged her inside.  
  
"What was that all about Jamie?" he asked with a hint of anger and frustration in his voice.  
  
"I didn't want to play that stupid game Jacob." Jamie said.  
  
"Why? Huh, because someone might actually tell something about themselves. That's the point of group if I remember."  
  
"Exactly." Jamie said proving her point.  
  
"You think I'd do that Jamie. I told you I wouldn't tell anyone about back home. I promised you the night you told me. And I won't unless you give me an absolute reason to. Okay. A promise is a promise. I'm not like that." Jacob said his feelings hurt by his sister's accusation.  
  
"Then why did you want to go so badly in the game?" Jamie asked feeling stupid but still sure of her accusations. She was stubborn that way, not wanting to admit she was wrong.  
  
"Because," Jacob said looking at his sister "I wanted to tell them about Spike. That's all. I wanted to be part of the group Jamie."  
  
Jamie looked at her brother for a minute. She looked at his face, still so much younger than she was. Though sometimes he didn't at like it, these times reminded her,  
  
"I want to fit in with the group Jamie. We've been here almost 5 months now and I still feel alienated. Maybe you don't cause you're their age but I do. I want them to accept me as a cliffhanger." Jacob said to her.  
  
"They will... They do Jake. I know they do. They just have weird ways of showing it." Jamie said now consoling her brother.  
  
"We'll can we at least go back?" Jacob asked his sister as he headed for the door.  
  
"Sure. Let me get a sweater though." She said as she went to her closet.   
  
  
BACK IN THE LODGE  
  
Peter, Sophie, and Katherine were talking about Jamie's actions.  
  
"I don't know what to do. I have an urge to put her on shuns for a week but I don't know if that will solve anything." Peter said frustrated.  
  
"She does that every time her and Jacob some back from a visit home. And a week is a long time." Sophie told Katherine.  
  
"A week in the outside world is a long time. Remember Auggie when he cam back the first time, and that was only a weekend." Katherine said in response to both of them. "It's hard to adjust and readjust to that kind of change. And maybe there's something at home. Something that makes her feel the need to act out."  
  
"We've thought of that Kat. But nothing seams to be there. The two of them don't seem to be hiding anything back. But you never know." Sophie said.  
  
Just as Katherine was going to say something Jamie and Jacob came over to them.  
  
"Peter, Sophie, Kat, I'm sorry I ran out of here like that." Jamie said apologetically.  
"I didn't mean to, I don't know what came over me."  
  
"And I didn't mean to run after her, but I mean she's my sister." Jacob said in reply. "I didn't want anything to happen to her."  
  
"Can I talk to you two for a minute?" Katherine asked pulling them aside.  
  
"I believe in chances you guys." Katherine told them. "Peter wants to put you on Shuns for a week Jamie, that means no talking to anyone, not even Jacob. Now you don't want that do you?" Katherine asked Jamie seriously.  
  
"No." she said looking at the ground.  
  
"So I'm going to give you a chance. If you promise to participate in group next time I will let you off. You to Jacob for running after her. But next time I won't. I'll put you on shuns and kitchen duty like they wanted." Katherine said compromising. "It's a free chance, kind of like passing go and Collecting $200. Almost no strings attached except for the behavior part. Take it or leave it." Katherine said putting out her hand for a shake to the deal.  
  
She had learned to compromise along time ago. After living with people Like Shelby and Juliet for almost 2 years in close quarters you had to. She remembered those days, when they were at Horizon together. It seamed like yesterday.  
  
"Deal."   
  
"Deal."  
  
"Good now let's get back to group. I have one more thing to say." Katherine said and headed back to the others that had been waiting.  
  
"Kat, can we end this please? I have a headache." Alley said as soon as Katherine sat down.  
  
"Just a few more minutes. Then you guys can go to your dorms." Katherine said looking sympathetically at Alley.  
  
The group sat back. They wanted group to be over. Many had homework to do, and Jamie and Jacob still had to unpack. Katherine felt their pain and was sympathetic.  
  
"Just one more thing guys. I know it's hard to trust the newbie. But I am here if you need me. I've been there before." Katherine said looking at the faces of all of the Cliffhangers. "I've had friends here that have been abused and stuff. Those who have tried to commit suicide, and those who actually almost gotten there or have died."  
  
The group considered her for a moment, she sounded so sincere.   
  
"So I want you to come and talk to me when ever you feel like it. I'm always here if you need me." Katherine said and got up. "Now you all can leave."  
  
The group got up and headed to the door. The boys went one way and the girls went another. But before parting Jacob hugged his sister one last time.  
  
"Remember, she's giving us a free chance." He whispered to her.  
  
"Come on Jake." Andy called as he and Aiken were walking.  
  
Jacob ran to catch up to the rest of the guys.  
  
End of Chapter two.  



	4. Chapter 3-Dreams

A new Horizon- chapter 3- Dreams  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own any of the old higher ground characters. But I do own all the new ones  
  
Note- In this chapter Alley has a dream. Katherine, Peter, and Sophie get a call from Daisy asking if she can visit them for a couple of days.  
  
  
~Note this is a dream~  
  
"Come on Alley. I'll race you to the car." Alley heard her brother say and as she looked up he was there.  
  
Adam was wearing his Blue swimming trunks and his Purple and Yellow Minnesota Vikings shirt. It had been his favorite. Alley stood there for a minute looking over the seen. She loved watching the light sparkle in he twin brother's eyes.  
  
"Alley, come on. I want to go." Adam whined sarcastically.  
  
She played this scene all the time. Of all the things she remembered how come it was this.  
  
Alley looked in the mirror, she was wearing a blue sundress, and it had little white flowers on it. She was younger then, only 13.  
  
"I'm coming Adam." She yelled to him and ran over.  
  
"Ready, set, go." Adam yelled and started off before the go.  
  
"Hey. Cheater." She said as she tagged Adam at the car.   
  
But she didn't care. He always cheated. And she let him because she knew she could beat him any time. And he knew it to that's why he cheated.  
  
"Ready guys?" she heard her mom ask.  
  
Alley looked at her mom to, and her dad. They were just as she remembered. Her mom with her dark curly hair and her father with his deep brown eyes. It was like they were right there in front of her.  
  
"Yeah mom." Adam said for both of them.  
  
"Okay then Kids, get in the car. We need to hurry if we want to get to the lake in time."  
  
'We never got there.' Alley thought to herself. 'We never made it to the lake.'  
  
Adam climbed in eagerly. Going to the family's cabin on the lake had always been his most favorite thing in the world. Even Alley loved it. The deep piney smell, the water lapping up against the dock. And the cabin that they owned. Alley remembered almost all of it in perfect detail. Though she hadn't been there since the accident.  
  
THE ACCIDENT.... Alley had almost forgotten about it all with the excitement of seeing her parents.  
  
"You guys we can't go." She felt like screaming out loud. But she knew she couldn't. It always happened like that. She wanted so badly to change the ending of her dream that the crash wouldn't happen but it never did.  
  
Seeing this scene again, seeing how willing everyone was to go to the lake made Alley sick to her stomach. "We were so stupid. If we hadn't tried to get there before dinner we wouldn't have crashed." She thought to herself. She could feel herself waking up.  
  
"No you guys. We can't go." She screamed as she was waking up, but no one heard.  
~end of dream~  
  
Alley woke up crying. She hated dreams of that day. She sometimes wished she had died to, so she wouldn't have to be alone.   
  
"Don't cry Alley. Please don't cry." She heard a voice say as she was crying.  
  
Alley looked around the room wondering where the voice was coming from. Neither Rylan or Jamie were up, she could even hear Jamie snoring, she was in such a deep sleep. There was no one there.  
  
"Alley don't cry." The voice said again.  
  
"Who... who's there?" Alley asked to the darkness.  
  
"Come on ally. I know you're not stupid." The voice said coming closer.  
  
"I know who you sound like but it can't be you. It can't be who I think it is." Alley said.  
  
It sounded like her twin brother Adam, but he was dead. And even if he were here he hadn't appeared to her since just after the accident.  
  
"Wanna bet?" the voice questioned. "Turn around."  
  
Alley turned around. She didn't want to believe what she would see but she saw it. Adam was standing there. Not fully human but not totally invisible either. He had on different clothes than he had in his dream.  
  
'How? What? I must be going crazy" Alley asked, surprised, stunned, and scared all at the same time.  
  
"I told you that I'd always be there for you. I'd come when you needed me." Adam said to her.  
  
"But... but... How? I haven't seen you in so long now. Why now?" Alley asked and sat up.  
  
Adam sat down and looked at his sister. He too had gotten older in the years since he had died. But his eyes still sparkled.  
  
"You needed someone to give you a run for your money." Adam said.  
  
"What?" Alley asked.  
  
"I was in your dream you know. And I don't always cheat." Adam said.  
  
"Yeah sure." Alley said sarcastically. "Never."  
  
"Hey sis. I am the older one you know." Adam said returning with his usual humor. He always took the time to remind Alley of that.  
  
"By a minute. But remember, I'm the one who's alive." Alley said, knowing right after the words were spoken they had been harsh.  
  
"Ouch... That was low Alley. Even for you." Adam said softly his face getting a depressed look.  
  
"I would have taken your place Adam." Alley said.  
  
"And you try every moment to make it possible. What about when you tried to kill yourself. I didn't want that Alley. And neither do mom or dad." Adam said with a hint of anger and disappointment in his voice.  
  
"Why, you guys all get to be together and I get shipped here in the middle of no where." She said hugging her pillow.  
  
"Alley, don't think we wanted to leave you. We didn't, but mom and dad were hurt so bad, if they had lived it would have been awful." Adam said trying to make his sister understand.  
  
But Alley couldn't comprehend it. Or she didn't want to. Adam couldn't understand. He wasn't the one that was left over, the one that was all alone now.  
  
"Adam, stop it. You don't understand." She said as she turned over in bed, hoping he would go away.  
  
The conversation was going no where, and both of them knew it. Adam was trying to make his sister understand but her pain was so deep that even he couldn't see the bottom.  
  
"Oh how I wish we had some divine intervention right now." Adam said.  
  
He had meant it to be a joke, seeing he was an "angel" and all at the moment, but Alley didn't see it that way.  
  
"Yeah me to." She said bitterly. "Now can you please shut up and go away." She yelled.  
  
Adam was hurt and was beginning to walk away too. "I'll be back Alley. I promise, when you're ready I'll be back."  
  
Alley didn't answer and didn't turn around either. But as soon as she knew that Adam had left the tears fell from her eyes, burning on her cheeks. She had never fought with Adam like that while he was alive. It was their first fight, really ever. Usually they had been inseparable. And now when he came to her she couldn't understand why she had. She should have been so happy he appeared to her, that he had come back. She hadn't heard his voice in so long. But she wasn't it just hurt more. The tears kept coming. And Alley ended up crying herself to sleep.  
  
  
THE NEXT DAY  
  
Aiken sat on the dock, his sneakers almost touching the water. Most of the campus was abandoned; almost everyone else was in class. It was one of those times when you were glad to be a senior. He didn't have to be in class for another 20 minutes. He looked up at the sky. It was getting darker; a storm had to be coming.  
  
Just then He heard footsteps. He turned around and there was Alley. She was wearing an overly large sweatshirt and a pair of jeans on. But there was a strange look on her face, he could tell she was tired but there was also something else.  
  
"Hey Stranger." Aiken said as he moved over on the doc so she could sit down. "Haven't seen you lately."  
  
"What was it, last night?" she said sarcastically as she sat down and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
"Yep." He said as he slipped his arm around Alley's shoulders.  
  
There was a silence between the two for a moment. Alley looked at the water. She watched as the reflections of both of their faces blurred together.  
  
"I saw him again Aiken." Alley said suddenly.  
  
"What? Saw who?" Aiken asked looking at her.  
  
"Adam, he came to me again last night." She said softly, facing the water again.  
  
She moved away from his arm that was still on her shoulders. She didn't want to have physical contact with anyone right now.  
  
"Don't think I'm crazy Aiken. Cause I think I might be loosing it. But Adam was there. He was talking to me. He was right there next to me on my bed." Alley said seriously believing she was going crazy.  
  
"I don't think your crazy Alley." Aiken told her seriously. "Maybe he was there with you. What did he say?"  
  
"That he would never leave me."   
  
"Well that's true. After you spend Nine Months in a womb together that bond kind of stays with ya," Aiken said.  
  
"That sounds like what Adam would have said if I had given him the chance?" Alley asked hysterically.  
  
"What do you mean? If you had given him the chance?" Aiken asked as he brought his hand up to Alley's face.  
  
"I don't know. I guess I was scared or something because he came because we got in a fight, it would have been our first one, and I told him to shut up and leave." Alley said crying.  
  
Aiken wrapped her into a tight hug. He felt his shirt getting wet with Alley's tears and he tried to comfort her.  
  
"Maybe he'll be back Alley. Maybe." Aiken said as he kissed her head.  
  
Alley looked up at him, her eyes red with tears.  
  
"You think so, you think he will and you think I'm not crazy?" Alley asked him.  
  
"No, I don't think your crazy and I think he will come back. If he said that he would, he will." Aiken told her.  
  
  
MEANWHILE IN ITHICA, NEW YORK (a.k.a. Cornell University)  
  
Daisy Lipenowski sat at the desk in her dorm room. It was the beginning of her 3rd year in the Ivy League collage's Pre-med Program. Soon she would be going abroad to Australia to learn at one of their schools for a semester. She had always wanted to go there (that and Italy but Italy wasn't in the program). Daisy was trying to make a list of all the things she needed to do before she left all the loose ends she needed to tie up.  
  
"I need to call Shelby and Ezra" she thought to herself and added it to the list.   
  
She thought back to the days she shared with Shelby, especially the time that they went to her mother's funeral. It would be 6 years this winter; her father would have his 3rd anniversary of his death in February. She had been glad when he had died. She didn't care anymore after what he had done to her before horizon. His drinking had done it to her, made her loose her little faith she had let in him.  
  
She picked up the phone. "Hello, Assistance, I would like the phone number of Shelby Merrick, She lives in the Syracuse, New York area." Daisy said as she waited for an answer. "Thank you."  
  
Daisy hung up the phone and then picked it up to dial Shelby's number.   
  
"Hello?" Shelby answered getting up from her law books that she was studying over.  
  
"Hey Shelby. It's daisy." Daisy said excitedly.  
  
"Oh my God Daisy. I was just going to call you." Shelby said in relief.  
  
"What's wrong?" Daisy said hearing Shelby sigh.  
  
"I've been trying to study my law books but my mind keeps wandering. I can't concentrate at all." Sophie said sighing again.  
  
"Listen. I'm going to Australia in a couple of weeks for med. school you know." Daisy started.  
  
"Yeah, I hope you have fun there." Shelby said still distracted.  
  
"Anyway, I want to tie up a couple of loose ends so to speak before I go, and I was wondering if you wanted to go to horizon with me? Just to see how things have changed or not." Daisy said explaining and kind of begging.  
  
"I'd love to go. Did you hear Kat is teaching there now?" Shelby asked.  
  
"I think Ez told me. I knew she'd be the one to go back." Daisy said. "She always planned to."  
  
"So when do you want to go?" Shelby asked. "I have tests all next week."  
  
"So do I and I leave at the end of October. So how about in two weeks?"   
  
"We'll have to call Peter and Sophie." Shelby reminded her.  
  
Sure they kept in touch with Sophie and Peter al the time, but calling them to ask if they could visit was another thing. It always made any of the Cliffhangers feel weird.  
  
"I'll do it. It was my idea." Daisy said. 'Well I better let you go so you can study."  
  
"Thanks. Call me with the final plans." Shelby said as she hung up.  
  
  
PETERS OFFICE  
  
Sophie sat at Peter's desk. Peter and the other cliffhangers were at group. She had Anne Marie in her lap and they were playing with some toys.  
  
"Hush Anne." Sophie whispered to her daughter who was laughing.  
  
Anne Marie grabbed her squeaky toy and started squeaking it. Sophie looked at her and started laughing. She though not biologically theirs looked a lot like Peter, but had already gained Sophie's personality. Anthony was more like his father though.   
  
"Mama, phone." Little Anne Marie said as the phone rang.  
  
"That's right honey. Now lets see who it is." Sophie said kissing her daughter's forehead.  
  
"Hello, Mount Horizon, Sophie Becker-Scarbrow speaking. How may I help you?" Sophie asked in her formal voice.  
  
"Hey Sophie. It's Daisy." Daisy said from her end of the line.  
  
"I haven't heard from you in a while Daisy, how have you been, how's pre-med?" Sophie asked.  
  
"That's one of the reason's I'm calling." Daisy told her. "You see in our third year we go abroad to like a different country almost anywhere in the world. And I'm going to Australia for a semester."  
  
"Wow Daisy, I'm impressed, that's wonderful." Sophie said impressed.  
  
"Yeah, and I was wondering if Shelby and I could come to Horizon for a couple of days like in 2 weeks? Just to see you guys again." Daisy asked.  
  
"Sure that would be great, for both of you. How about the 10th? Is that okay?" Sophie asked reaching over Anne Marie to check the calendar.  
  
"That's great." Daisy said. "I need to go because I have class in 20."   
  
"Okay Daisy, see you in two weeks." Sophie said and let Daisy hang up.  
  
As Sophie hung up she turned to Anne Marie "We're having visitors soon honey." She said tickling her.  
  
Anne Marie giggled a sign of approval.  
  
The end of Chapter 3  



	5. Chapter 4- A Blast from the Past

A New Horizon- Chapter 4- Blast from the past?  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any original HG characters. But I do own all the new ones.  
  
In this chapter: Daisy and Shelby visit, Aiken gets a letter from someone in his past.  
  
"Guys, pay attention please." Anthony shouted to the Cliffhangers.  
  
Though almost 3 years younger than the oldest cliffhanger Anthony Scarbrow got the chance to guide them for once, and in a way to intimidate them. His father and mother, Peter and Sophie had taught him in the 3 years he had lived with them to mountain climb. He was pretty good at it. He could climb and repel in almost anyway, even upside down. And it was his job after school one day every week to teach the cliffhangers to climb the Rock wall they had in the middle of Campus.   
  
"Come on I mean it." Anthony shouted again.  
  
Finally the group looked up at him.   
  
"Go on Anthony." Aiken said smiling at his little friend.  
  
"Thanks Aiken." Anthony said knowing no one would mess with a senior member.  
  
"Does everyone have their harnesses on?" he asked checking his own.  
  
"Yep." They all said in one way or another.  
  
"Okay. Now we're going to climb to the top and I'm going to teach you a new way to come down." Anthony said.  
  
The group climbed to the top. It was a great experience. The wall was at a place in campus where you could see all the buildings from it. That's where Anthony saw the car coming up the drive.  
  
"They're here." He shouted happily.  
  
The rest of the cliffhangers looked at Anthony puzzled. They thought he was going crazy until they saw a car. Then they wondered who it was.  
  
"Who's here?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Shelby and Daisy." Anthony said as he started climbing down the wall. "The lessons over for now. We'll have to reschedule. Now I want you all to get down." He yelled to them from the bottom of the wall.  
  
"Alley, if anyone has trouble help them okay?" Anthony instructed as he ran towards the car.  
  
  
INFRONT OF THE HORIZON ADDMITTION BUILDING  
  
Daisy and Shelby got out of the car. When they got out they were surprised to be met by a dog.  
  
"Shelby, Daisy." They heard a person scream.  
  
They both looked the way the voice was coming and saw a boy running towards them. They waited until he came up to them. When they saw who it was they were very surprised.  
  
"Anthony, is that you?" Daisy said hugging the teen.  
  
"Yeah. Hi." He said as he hugged her and then Shelby.  
  
"You've grown a lot since we saw you last time." Shelby said smiling. "By the way, who's the dog?"  
  
Anthony looked down and laughed. He pets the dog and the dog sat down.  
  
"That's challenge." He said. "We got him right after Frank died."  
  
"It feels so different without him here to great us." Shelby said softly. "I remember when he let Scott stay after he trashed that house."  
  
"And when he took the guys to Hope Falls after Isaac committed suicide." Daisy said.  
  
"Oh yeah. I remember that. That was awful. But he was the only one of us that ever did." Shelby said remembering.  
  
"Shelby. Daisy." Kat said as she got over to them. "I missed you guys so much."  
  
Katherine hugged both of them tightly. She was always the over emotional type.  
  
"So do you like counseling the masses of freaks?" Shelby said remembering one of the terms for them selves. "Who's the unfortunate group this time?"   
  
"Cliffhangers. I got the old group thing back." Katherine said smiling.  
  
"Where are out predecessors anyway?" Daisy asked.  
  
"They should be coming. I told them that I would have to postpone class." Anthony said looking around for them.  
  
"You mean little Anthony is teaching the big kids?" Shelby said teasingly.  
  
"Yes. I am." He said as-a-mater-of-factly.  
  
Just then the Cliffhangers show up. Aiken, Alley, Jacob, Jamie, Andy, and Rylan stood in front of them.  
  
"So you must be our all mighty offspring?" Daisy asked.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Jamie said bitterly, not wanting to be put on display.  
  
"I think she's you're clone Shel." Katherine whispered.  
  
"Which one's mine?" Daisy asked enjoying the conversation now.   
  
"I'm guessing Rylan or Alley." Katherine said to her.  
  
"And which ones are they?"   
  
"The blond is Alley and the red head is Rylan." Katherine said explaining.  
  
"I'm the Scott." Aiken said showing the two he knew what they were talking about.  
  
Shelby and Daisy looked at him in surprise, how could he have known about Scott if he were here now. They studied him for a minute trying to put a name to the face.  
  
"Aiken Gregory, does it ring a bell?" he asked them.  
  
Shelby's face gave a look of acknowledgment. "Now I know who you are. You were here when David and Ezra graduated. And you started when the rest of us left. Remember Dais?" she asked.  
  
"Now I do. You've grown too." She said remembering.  
  
"Yeah." Aiken said now embarrassed because they remembered and were smiling at him.  
  
"Mom and Dad want to see you." Anthony said suddenly as he grabbed both Shelby and Daisy's hands, not acting his age at all.  
  
Shelby and Daisy followed after Anthony, after giving each other happy looks at each other; they were "home" again.  
  
PETERS OFFICE  
  
"Mom, Dad. They're here. They're here!!!" Anthony ran in screaming.  
  
"Who Anthony?" Peter asked looking up from a file.  
  
"Shelby and Daisy. They're here. They got here a few minutes ago." He said excitedly.  
  
"Well where are they?" Sophie said happily to her son. It had been so long since she had seen them.  
  
As if on cue Daisy and Shelby came into the room. Sophie and Peter went over to hug them. Shelby and Daisy hugged back. Peter backed up to look at the two.  
  
"You two look wonderful." He said as he offered Shelby and Daisy a seat.  
  
"You too Peter." Daisy said Politely, though now almost nearing 48 the youth had not gone out of his face, and he looked great.  
  
"Yeah, sure I do." He said knowing he wasn't as healthy as he used to be, his knee was still deteriorating and the surgery he had had 4 years ago was beginning to wear off.  
  
"So how is school for both of you?" Sophie asked them.  
  
"It's okay, law's really dragging along." Shelby said depressed. "I mean I want to do it but the schooling is so boring at the moment, it's just studying and more studying."  
  
Peter laughed. "That's the way school it."  
  
"I'm going to Australia in a couple of weeks, the medical school down there is fabulous." Daisy said.  
  
"Well that is wonderful." Sophie said and checked her watch. "Well I need to get Anne Marie up. She need some lunch."  
  
"So could I." Daisy said. "Starvation is not the way I want to die."  
  
"Then let me take you to the dinning hall." Peter said as the two followed him out the door.  
  
THE DINNING HALL  
  
Aiken went to go sit next to Alley at lunch. She was eating the Chicken Soup they had been served.  
  
"Hey Alley." He said.   
  
Shelby looked over at the two of them and pictures of her and Scott crept into her mind, They had loved each other once. And though she had tried to bury the feeling, and he knew she had to. They still loved each other. Instantly she wished his strong arms could hold her. To is the one cheering him to the fieldgoal post in football. She missed him s much.   
  
The same thing was happening to Daisy, she kept having this feeling of Ezra. She knew she had hurt her with the whole David thing all those years ago. But she needed Ezra more as a best friend. She was always worried about what would happen if they got to close. So many people close to her before had hurt her, and she couldn't bear to be hurt by Ezra to. It meant too much to her, and to be hurt by him would have tortured her soul even more than it already was.  
  
"You guys okay?" Sophie asked as she carried Anne Marie over to the table and noticed the two girls' blank stairs over at Aiken and Alley.  
  
"Oh yeah. Just thinking of the past." Was the reply of both.  
  
Shelby looked over at the little girl in Sophie's arms. She was Shelby's goddaughter. "Can I hold her?" she asked.  
  
"Sure you can." Sophie said handing Anne Marie to Shelby.  
  
Shelby held the little girl. The girl smiled up at Shelby. She looked so innocent. Anne Marie reached up to play with Shelby's blond hair, and Shelby and Daisy laughed.  
  
"She's so cute." Daisy commented.  
  
Just then a loud thump was heard in the room disrupting their conversation. Sophie turned around startled. There was a scream before the group moved apart. The scream was of Jamie. Jacob and Andy were on the floor fighting. Jacob was on top of Andy and Andy's nose was bleeding.  
  
"Don't talk to my sister like that." Jacob yelled, getting ready to punch Andy again.  
  
Sophie and Roger ran to stop the fight. Roger grabbed Jacob who was still trying to hit Andy/.  
  
"What is going on here?" Sophie said angrily to the two of them after telling the rest of the students and Jamie to go sit down. "No wait, tell me when we get to Peter's office.  
  
  
PETERS OFFICE.  
  
"What happened out there you two?" Sophie asked looking at both of the boys, Andy's face already showing signs of swelling, and Jacob with a fat lip.  
  
"I don't know." Jacob said angrily. He really didn't know why all this was happening. Every time they went home, he and Jamie, they came back worse than they were before. And he hated to admit it but he was becoming more like his old former horizon, after the divorce self again.   
  
"I don't know either." Andy said.  
  
"Well people don't just fight for no reason." Sophie said almost on the verge of sarcasm.  
  
"I'm sorry Okay." Jacob said bitterly, he had to many feelings building up inside of him right now. "He said something about Jamie."  
  
Sophie looked at Jacob, she knew that he and his sister was close, but fighting for the other was wrong, was out of the question.  
  
"What did he say." Sophie asked.  
  
"He said that she was pretty, that he liked her." Jacob said softly.  
  
"So what if I said that, That doesn't mean you can attack me." Andy said. "But I shouldn't have fought back either."  
  
"I am putting both of you on Kitchen detail for a week, and Jacob, seeing that you started this fight, you have shuns for a week. You can't talk to anyone, other than Me, Peter, and Katherine, and of course Andy because you two are going to be spending a lot of time together, and you are not even allowed to talk to Jamie." She added.  
  
"What? No way. I am talking to my sister." He said, he couldn't stand not talking to her.  
  
"Well those are the rules Jacob, you break em, you pay for it. Only Andy and you can't give him messages to give to Jamie either. That is against the rules. And you have to write down your feelings in your journal. Understand both of you?" she asked folding her arms. She hated to have to do that to Jacob but she had to.  
  
"Yeah." Andy said casually.  
  
"Yes. I understand perfectly." Jacob said still mad at her for the judgement.  
  
"Good, now go to lunch." Sophie said to them.  
  
As soon as they left Sophie sank in her chair. She felt exhausted, after the fight, and everything. That's when Shelby and Daisy came in.  
  
"Remember when me and Juliet used to fight like that?" Shelby asked trying to lighten Sophie's mood.  
  
"Yeah... Yeah I do." She said laughing.  
  
The three of them sat down and started to talk about the past again.  
  
MEANWHILE...  
  
It was time for mail call for the cliffhangers.  
  
"Alley." Jeff called handing her two letters.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Jacob and Jamie." He said handing them both a package and some letters.  
  
"Thank you." Jamie said for both of them.  
  
"Andy."   
  
Andy got up and smiled at the letters he had gotten, he hadn't received mail in a long time.  
  
"Rylan, sorry, you don't have anything." Jeff said to her sadly.  
  
"It's okay" she said not letting it affect her.  
  
"And last but not least, Aiken." Jeff said handing Aiken a single letter,  
  
Aiken looked at the letter and nearly fainted when he saw whom it was from. The address read: "Mitchell Gregory 112 New Heart Ave. Houston, Texas". It was a letter from his father.  
  
To be continued. AND PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK!!!!!  



	6. Chapter 5- Why does it have to be like t...

A New Horizon- Chapter 5- Why does it have to be like this  
  
Disclaimer- I do not own any original Higher Ground Characters but I do own the new ones. I also own Mitchell Gregory, Aiken's father.  
  
In this chapter- Aiken's letter and Jacobs Journal  
  
"Damn it. Why does he have to do this every freakin time." Aiken yelled and threw the letter to the ground. He wanted no part in it.  
  
Everyone was shocked at Aiken's reaction and looked at him in surprise. He usually didn't have outbursts like this. He looked at them and ran out of the room. For a moment no one knew what to do and everyone stood there in shock. No one ran after him, they didn't know what to say.  
  
Aiken ran to the Cliffhangers dorm. When he got there he started tearing up his half of the room. Getting letters from his father or anyone from his past for that matter, but especially his father, brought back terrible memories. For the first time in a long time Aiken felt like running from Horizon.   
  
"You can't let this get to you Aiken." A voice inside his head said. "You don't know what that letter said."  
  
Aiken wished he hadn't just thrown the letter on the ground. He wished he had ripped it into a million pieces, or set it on fire. To make the memories go away. He hated to remember back then.  
  
~FLASHBACK~  
  
San Franciso, California - March 21, 1994  
  
"Bye Mommy!!" a little boy around 5 yelled to his mother waving his hand.  
  
"Bye Honey" The woman said and waved to her son as she stepped into her blue van. "I'll pick you up on Tuesday."  
  
The little boy followed his father into the house. He liked staying with his dad but he loved his mommy more. He missed her when he was at his dads house. He started crying.  
  
"I want mommy." He told his father.  
  
The father looked at the little boy. There was a hint of anger in his eyes.   
  
"I know. Quit your crying." The father said angrely to the little boy.  
  
The boy knew better than to disobey his father. Dad was scary when he got mad. The little boy went to his room. Little did he know that day was the last day he would see his mom.  
  
~ END FLASHBACK~  
  
Aiken shook the memory out of his head before it could go on any longer. It just kept getting worse and worse. He threw his picture of Alley and Him across the room, it was the nearest thing to him. He threw a book next and then a pillow, and was about to throw his other pillow when Jacob walked into the room. He barley dodged the pillow that was coming towards his face.  
  
"Sorry about that Jake." Aiken said now kind of embarrassed.  
  
Jacob nodded his head in acknowledgement. He was on shuns anyway. He sat on his bed jumping over some stuff. He had seen these outbursts with his sister and was used to them.   
  
"What happened to you?" He wrote on a back page of his notebook.  
  
"Nothing." Aiken said curtly.   
  
"Fine. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Just don't throw things my way okay?" Jacob wrote adding a smiley face at the end.   
  
"Okay. Thanks.' Aiken said as he went to lay down on his bed, there was to much he had inside of him to deal with at the moment. He also knew that Peter or Sophie, or Katherine, would be coming to "talk" to him soon.  
  
  
Jacob tried to ignore the fact that Aiken was acting just like Jamie, just like the one who had caused him to fight in the first place. He opened his journal to the first page. Like all the Shun notebooks the first about 10 pages had questions on them. He decided to fill some of them in, he had nothing better to do.  
  
QUESTION 5. If you could live any day over again in your life what would it be and why?  
  
My life hasn't been the best in the past few months, almost a year now. With mom and dad getting divorced its on the verge of saying "LIFE SUCKS" I don't want to live any of these days over again. There are to many problems, I wish I knew how to solve them all. But if I had to pick one it would be when Mom, Dad, Jamie, and me went to Niagara Falls. It's because it was the last time we were really together without fighting and stuff. It was before mom started cheating on dad with Bob and everything that followed it. I wish I could stop time right there and have that feeling all the time, I wish Jamie had it more so she could be okay again. But she won't.  
  
  
Jacob looked at what he had written, he felt kinda weird, and maybe a bit relieved, maybe a bit stupid. He couldn't really tell at the moment. He put the notebook down and looked back at Aiken.  
  
Aiken had gotten up now. He was pacing back and forth in the room. Trying to think about the past and the present at the same time. He had tried to block out all the memories of his past but he couldn't. All the time at Horizon he thought he had but now, just because of one little letter it was all tumbling down again. He felt like he had the first time he walked into horizon, like he was broken inside, and for 2 whole years he had been rebuilding himself bit by bit he was becoming himself again. But now an earthquake had hit.   
  
Aiken's thoughts were interupted by a knock on the door. Jacob went to go get it. It was Peter.  
  
"Can you leave me and Aiken alone for a few minutes Jacob?" Peter asked walking into the room.   
  
Jacob nodded for an answer and walked out of the building. When Peter and Aiken were alone Peter sat on one of the beds and withdrew the envelope Peter had in his pocket.  
  
"Your taking this hard aren't you Aiken?" Peter asked looking at him.  
  
Aiken couldn't answer he just nodded.   
  
"Don't you even want to know what he says in the letter?" Peter asked handing it to him.  
  
Aiken wouldn't take the envelope. He looked at it with almost a look of pure hatred.  
  
"You weren't there Peter. You wouldn't understand what he but me through." Aiken said with the same hate in his voice that was in his eyes.   
  
"No I don't Aiken. But there is hate in you right now and you need to face those demons sometime you know." Peter said.  
  
"Yeah well that time isn't going to be now." Aiken said as he turned his back on Peter.  
  
MEANWHILE OUTSIDE  
  
Jacob was writing in his journal again. He didn't really want to because there was the fact that Katherine would read it and then show Peter and Sophie. But he couldn't stop writing. It was like a force was driving him to do it.  
  
2. NAME 3 THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU ARE THE PROUDEST OF, NAME 3 THINGS YOU ARE MOST ASHAMED OF.  
  
I am most proud of:  
1. the fact I can protect Jamie  
2. the way I think  
3. I guess being here and choosing it  
  
Thinks I am most ashamed of  
1. All the crap I did before here after the divorce  
2. Not being able to Help my own sister sooner  
3. Fighting and my temper (they both suck)  
  
  
7. WHY ARE YOU WRITING IN THIS RIGHT NOW? WHAT CAUSED YOU TO DO  
WHAT YOU DID?  
  
I'm writing this because I got in a fight with Andy. It was stupid and now I have to  
do this stupid thing even though I'd rather not. I lost my temper which I have been doing a  
of lately even though I don't really mean to. But he said something about Jamie and I'm sick of people saying things to her and about her and saying it so she can here when they mean to "talk to themselves" I hate that so much. And usually it would annoy her and she'd come to me and cry about it and I didn't want that to happen again so I just SNAPPED!!!!! I didn't mean for it to be Andy, I guess it really didn't matter at the time who it was, I just wanted it to stop. But Peter and Sophie went over board. I CAN'T EVEN TALK TO MY OWN SISTER. IT BITES!!!  
  
Jacob put down the notebook and looked at his watch. It was almost time for kitchen duty. He was suppose to be helping to cook. Along with Andy and his sister. He knew that was going to be torture. He got up and started trudging towards the lodge.  
  
KITCHEN  
  
Jamie stood at the oven and looked across the steaming kitchen for her brother. At the moment she was hating his guts. She knew Andy was only trying to be nice but Jacob had taken it the wrong way but she felt sorry for him to. Not wanting to think of the reasons that went along with that "Why?" she shook her head and went over to the fridge.  
  
As soon as she reached the fridge Katherine came up to her.  
  
"Jamie, can I talk to you?" Kat asked kindly to Jamie.  
  
"Sure." Jamie said.  
  
Jamie followed Kat to the lake. As they got to one of the little benches there Jamie and Kat sat down.  
  
"Do you know what caused the fight between your brother and Andy Jamie?" Kat asked nicely.  
  
"Um.." Jamie said. "No, not really."  
  
"Because if Jacob gets caught fighting here again he might have to leave Horizon." Kat said trying to give Jamie some incentive to tell.  
  
"No, you can't do that." Jamie said all of a sudden. "He can't go back. I NEED him." Jamie said almost screaming.  
  
"I know Jamie, calm down." Katherine said as she tried to get Jamie to sit back down. "We didn't say it was going to happen now, did we?"  
  
"No." Jamie said whispering.  
  
"There's still a lot of give and take here. He can always shape up and then he won't have to go away. And you two will be together for a while longer." Kat said.  
  
Jamie gave no reply to the statement Kat said. The little "experiment" Peter and Sophie were trying to conduct on Jamie wasn't having the effect that they wanted. Katherine knew that and decided to give up. She knew she probably had put Jamie in a bit of a shock.  
  
"Why don't you go to the dorm and lie down Jamie." Kat said looking at the teen girl's face.  
  
Kat scanned the girls distraught face again. There was a look on it that scared Katherine.  
  
Jamie started to walk away. Her legs felt weak. She didn't want to think about being without her brother. She felt the blood rushing though her body and knew that she had to get to the dorm as fast as she could.  
  
Katherine looked at Jamie as she ran. She still felt that something was going to happen. She didn't know how right she was.  
  
THE END...  
  
Sorry. I know this isn't the greatest ending but I want something to happen in the next chapter that needs to be on its own.   
  
ALSO: Who wants to see Aiken's letter? Do you feel you need to know more about him first or not? Because if enough people want it I will show it. THANKS!  



	7. Chapter 6-The way it is

Chapter 6- the way it is  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own any origional Higher Ground characters. But I do own all the new ones  
  
In this chapter- Jamie does a Horizon no-no. Daisy and Shelby have a surprise.  
  
  
  
Jamie got to her dorm as soon as she could. Her breathing was getting heavier and faster. She was having a semi-panic attack. She looked around to see if anyone was in the room. But no one was.  
  
Jamie ran into the bathroom, turned on the sink and shut the door. She didn't know what she was going to do. She felt like she was going to throw up. She bent down on the floor over one of the toilets. She needed to do something. After throwing up she still didn't feel better. Her heart was pounding and she was crying.  
  
  
Daisy and Shelby went to explore town. They decided to have lunch at Rustys.  
  
"Hi Gracie!" Shelby said happily to the little girl who she had once saved.  
  
"Hello Shelby, Hello Daisy." Ginger said back. "Mom's in the back with Parker. Want me to get her for you?"   
  
"Sure, that would be nice." Daisy said. "Reminders of our past." She said almost bitterly.  
  
If Gracie or Shelby heard the bitterness they ignored it because neither of them reacted. Gracie went back to the kitchen to get her mother. Soon Ginger came over with her and Curtis' son.  
  
"Hello girls. I want you to meet Parker." Ginger said as she came over to the girls.  
  
"Hello Parker." The girls said in the little giggly voice everyone uses with babies.  
  
Ginger sat down with them for a few minutes. There was really no one in the restaurant.  
  
"So what brings you girls back?" Ginger asked.  
  
"Well I'm going to Australia soon for med-school and we both needed a break." Daisy said.  
  
"There's only 4 things missing, Juliet, Auggie, Ezra, and Scott." Shelby said dreamily thinking of Scott.  
  
Ginger nodded in agreement.  
  
IN AN AIRPORT IN NYC  
  
2 young men in their mid twenties were boarding a plan to Washington State. One, a tall, well built man with dirty blond hair held a large bouquet of roses. The other shorter man, with curly brown hair held a wrapped present.  
  
As the two boarded the plane that would take them to their destination they smiled nervous smiles at each other.  
  
"Do you really think this is a good Idea?" the blond haired one asked nervously, which was very unlike him.  
  
"Daisy said that she wished she could see me before she left and I know your girl feels the same way." The dark haired guy said.  
  
"Shelby.' The man whispered almost in a breathless way, speaking of his love.  
  
The two men sat back as she plane took off. It would be almost 5 hours to get there.  
  
AT HORIZON  
  
Jamie looked on the shelf above the sinks. She was looking for her razor. Finally she found it. She cut herself once vertically on her wrist. The pain ran through her body, but so did a feeling of relief. She cut again. Blood was coming now.   
  
"I won't let them make me be alone here." She said cutting the other wrist now.   
  
Blood was splattering on the floor. But she didn't care. She wanted the pain, she needed this kind of pain to numb the other pain she felt, the non physical pain that was all purely emotional. She didn't like that kind of pain but the physical pain didn't bother her much anymore.  
  
After a few more cuts the light-headedness was kicking in. That was the only part she didn't like and she had only felt like that once, the time right before horizon, when her parents decided she needed to get help.   
  
All of a sudden the silence of Jamie's own thoughts was broken. Someone was knocking on the door.  
  
"Come on Jamie open up please."  
  
It was Alley and Rylan outside.  
  
"Jamie open this door now." Rylan said angrily.  
  
Jamie didn't open the door, partly because she felt to weak to, and partly because she didn't feel like it.  
  
"Fine. We're coming in anyway." Alley said.  
  
Soon there was a loud bang on the door as the girls rammed into it. They had opened the door. By this time Jamie was crying. She was found out and reality of what she had done was truly sinking in. Alley was the first to see the blood.  
  
"Jamie what happened?" Alley asked scared.  
  
That's when Rylan saw Jamie's wrists and almost cried to. She started freaking out.  
  
"Rylan, go get Peter, or Sophie, or Katherine, anyone." Alley said as she went and tried to stop some of the bleeding from Jamie's arm.  
  
  
  
Rylan ran as fast as she could to the lodge. Sophie and Peter were there holding another group session. Rylan went over crying hysterically.  
  
"What's wrong Ry?" Sophie said concerned.  
  
"Jamie.... Cutting... bleeding..." was all that was audible through the gasping and crying.  
  
"Calm down Rylan. Calm down. Now what happened?" Peter asked.  
  
"Jamie cut herself in the bathroom and she's bleeding really bad." Rylan said.  
  
Peter ran as fast as he could to the dorm. Not even looking behind him back to Sophie to make sure that Rylan was taken care of.  
  
  
AT THE AIRPORT  
  
The two men got off the plane. There was no one waiting for them there. They went to the baggage claim and picked up their stuff. Then headed for a rental car. It would take only 20 minutes to get to Rusty's. A restaurant that everyone stopped in before going to or leaving horizon.  
  
"Scott." The dark haired man asked.  
  
"Yeah Ez?" the blond asked.  
  
"What do you think the schools like now. Without Frank and us and everything?" Ezra asked.  
  
"Different. But still some of the things are the same. I know they'll be okay." Was Scott's only reply.  
  
ST. MARY'S HOSPTIOL.  
  
Jamie opened her eyes. The fluorescent lights blinded her for a few minutes. When she could focus on anything, it was the white gauze on both her wrists.  
  
"Must've cut to deep." She thought to herself.  
  
She noticed that no one was in the room with her. She tried to sit up but was to weak to. She had lost a lot of blood. Luckily a nurse came in.  
  
"I see you're up. I'll call your visitors in." the nurse, a nice young woman said softly to Jamie.  
  
Jacob was the first to come in. He ran right to Jamie and tried to give her a small hug. Followed soon by Peter and Sophie. Sophie looked as if she had been crying.  
  
"How long have I been in here?" was the first thing she asked.  
  
"Not that long really. Only maybe 50 minutes to an hour. But you're going to stay here for a couple of days, you lost a lot of blood. And then be under supervision in the lodge by either Me, Peter, Rylan, or Alley at all times. You're under suicide watch until we're sure you can be trusted again okay?" Peter said giving the routine speech.  
  
Jamie nodded to her best ability. "Did you have to call mom and dad?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, but neither of them think it would be a good idea to send you home at the moment. So we're your temporary gaurdiens. " Sophie said.  
  
Jacob turned to Sophie and Peter for a second. "Peter, Sophie, can you leave me and Jamie along for a few minutes. I want to talk to her?" he asked seriously.  
  
"Sure Jacob, go ahead. We'll be right outside. Call us when you're finished." Sophie said as she dragged peter out of the room.  
  
As soon as Peter and Sophie left Jacob took a seat on Jamie's bed. He looked into her eyes desperate for an answer to a question he really didn't want to ask again. He could find no answer in them  
  
"Why Jamie? Why did you have to do this again?" Jacob said almost crying. "You could have died."   
  
Jamie hated seeing her brother like this. He tried to act tough but he was in all actuality still young. He hadn't grown up as fast as she had. And he couldn't understand and she knew that bothered him. She hated him thinking she did these things because she hated him, and she knew that he felt like that right now.  
  
"You were mad at me for fighting with Andy weren't you?" he asked ashamed.  
  
"No Jacob. It's nothing like that." She said feeling suddenly guilty. "It was nothing you did."  
  
"Then why. Why did you have to start cutting again?" he asked more direct this time.  
  
"They said that they might have to send you home if you got in a fight again." She said.  
  
"So it was my fighting wasn't it." He asked. "You dpon't have to lie to me Jamie. I CAN handle the truth."  
  
The words cut through her. She didn't mean to hurt him because of that. She loved him more than anything else in the whole world. And she knew he felt the same way.  
  
"It wasn't that Jacob. It was the fact that you might leave. I made you fight Andy, I should never have told you anything about the stuff at home. This never would have happened." She said.  
  
"I would have found out Jamie. I would have some how." Jacob.  
  
"Jakey." She said using the nickname for him that she only used when she was scared or something bad was happening. "I'm scared." She said and started to cry.  
  
"Me to." Jacob said as he hugged his sister trying to comfort her. "I love you, and I won't leave you."  
  
RUSTY'S RESTURANT-  
  
Scott and Ezra pulled up into the parking lot and got out of the car.   
  
"I'm nervous." Ezra said. "What if they don't want to see us?"  
  
"They will. I'm sure of it.' Scott said. He was really unsure but tried to keep up a brave front for Ezra. He clutched his bouquet of roses tighter.  
  
Both of them took a deep breath and then paused. They realized they didn't know what to say.  
  
MEANWHILE IN SAN FRANCISCO  
  
Juliet looked around the fancy restaurant that Auggie had taken her to for lunch. She wondered how he could afford something so expensive. She straighten the wrinkles in her cranberry dress nervously.  
  
"Where is he?" she asked looking for him, he was late.  
  
Auggie ran over to the table before Juliet could ask herself another question. He had on a tux. It was a black tie restaurant anyway. He sat down out of breath just as the waiter came over.  
  
"Would you like to order now?" the waiter asked.  
  
"Yes," Auggie answered for both of them "We'd like a single dish of lobster, and some breadsticks. "   
  
"And to drink?"  
  
"A bottle of red wine please." He said.  
  
"Is that all?"   
  
"Yes. Thank you." Juliet said.  
  
Soon the food was there and eaten. Juliet was surprised that Auggie knew exactly what she had wanted. It was another reason to show how much she loved him. She was surprised when he stood up in the middle of dessert.  
  
"What are you doing Auggie. We're still eating." She said almost embarrassed.  
  
Auggie got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. It had a small sparkling diamond on it. Juliet looked at it in shock and put her hands over her mouth to muffle out a scream.  
  
"Juliet Wayborne. I have loved you since I first met you." He started out. "We have shared moments together, both good and bad. Through your cutting and my gang related days, to your mothers abusive words when she met me, to my parents love for you as their own daughter. We have shared tears and laughter for the last 2 years we have shared almost every moment of our lives together. And I want to make sure that time never ends. Juliet will you marry me?" he asked.  
  
Tears ran from Juliet's eyes. The man she loved had just asked her to marry him in front of all these people.   
  
"Yes. Yes Auggie. I will marry you." She said as he slipped the ring onto her finger.  
  
They kissed each other as the whole restaurant broke out in applause.   
  
THE END  
  
  



	8. Chapter 7-Horizon Homecomings

A new Horizon- Chapter 7- Horizon Homecomings  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own any old HG characters (though I so wish I did) But I do own all my new characters. Oh I do own Paul Becker, Sophie's father.  
  
In this chapter- The meeting between Scott, Shelby, Daisy, and Ezra. Also we are introduced to someone from Sophie's past. And it ain't pretty. Also more between Jamie and Jacob.  
  
Sorry this took so long guys. I was on vacation and then I'm trying to write Aiken's story at the same time. That will be up next.  
  
Everyone I want a lot of reviews and not just 3 or 4 please cause I want to know if everyone likes it and what everyone wants to see happen THANKS :)  
  
RUSTY'S  
  
Shelby looked at Daisy. Both of them knew things weren't the same without the guys here. They could be sharing a coke with them right now. But instead their full glasses stood with only one straw in each.   
  
Ezra and Scott came in the door of Rusty's and were met by Ginger.  
  
"He..." Ginger started to say as the guys shushed her.  
  
"Shhhh Ginger. Are the girls here? We want to surprise them?" Scott Explained.  
  
"Oh. Okay. They're in the way back. Near the kitchen. Both of their backs are turned from you so they'll be surprised." Ginger said pointing them in the right direction.  
  
The two started walking the way ginger had pointed. As they got closer their hearts were pounding fast. They approached and could see the heads of their lovers.  
  
"May we sit down." Was the best Ezra could do to surprise the two.   
  
"What?" Shelby said not noticing the guys at first.  
  
"OH MY GOD!!!" was Daisy's initial reaction.  
  
Ezra came and hugged Daisy tightly. It was a hug of two best friends meeting once again.   
  
"I've missed you Ezra." She whispered.  
  
"I've missed you too." He said kissing her on the forehead, he had grown in 6 years and was a head taller than her now. "I brought you a gift." He whispered handing it to her.  
  
  
Scott and Shelby looked at each other in shock for a while. Then they hugged and kissed for what seamed like an eternity.  
  
"I love you Shelby." Scott said kissing her and handing her the roses. "I always have and always will." Another kiss.  
  
"Me to Scott." She kissed him. "I've missed you so much."  
  
"I've missed you so much too." He said kissing her and running his fingers through her blond hair. She rubbed his blond waves with hers.  
  
Soon they sat down to see what Ezra had gotten Daisy.   
  
"Oh Ez. It's beautiful." Daisy said picking up a picture of her and Ezra on the top of Dogs Peak from her grauation. It was in a frame with aquamarine glass on it (her favorite color).  
  
"I thought you would want a reminder of me, for when you go to Australia and all." He said shyly.  
  
"Thank you." She said giving him a little kiss the lips and then started eating.  
  
  
HOSPITAL  
  
Peter and Sophie paced the floor in front of Jamie's room. They had lied to her. Saying that her parents had given them temporary guardianship of her. They hadn't. The truth was that they didn't "have the time in their schedule" to come and see her. In other words they didn't care. But that was just her mom and step-dad. Her father was truly away in business.  
  
"I can't believe we had to lie to her Peter." Sophie said.  
  
"But what else are we going to say Soph. Your parent's are to busy to worry about you even though you tried to kill yourself?" Peter said.  
  
"I know. But what if she finds out?" Sophie asked,.  
  
"I told her parents what to say to her." Peter said, his words cut short by the opening of Jamie's door.  
  
Jacob walked out of the room. His cheeks were tear stained also. Sophie came and put her arm around his shoulders.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" she asked.  
  
Peter and Sophie took care of Jacob a lot. He was the youngest of the Cliffhangers and had a hard time with the suicide thing his sister did.  
  
"Yeah." He said numbly to Sophie as he nodded his head.  
  
"Come on. I'll take you back to horizon and we can talk there okay?" she said as she led the boy down the hall.  
  
"Uh huh." He said still numbly.  
  
Peter watched as Sophie tried to guide Jacob down the hall. He was so out of it he could hardly walk. Peter made a mental note to tell the staff to pay extra attention to Jacobs action's at school. He wasn't to sure about what Jacob might do next.  
  
A FEW HOURS LATER:  
  
Peter hung around the hospitol after hours, Sophie had gone home to take care of Anthony and Anne Marie. But Peter would be stuck here with Jamie.  
  
It was times like this, the only time really, when Peter didn't fully love his job. When he had to put his STUDENTS before his FAMILY. When he lost time with his son and daughter to help one of the kids at the school. But he knew the student's neededhim and Sophie, and Horizon. They were the teen's safe haven and Peter would never have the heart to take that feeling of safety away from them, he couldn't. So he stayed.  
  
"Mr. Scarbrow?" a nurse came up asking.  
  
"Yes?" Peter said awakening from his thoughts.  
  
"You have a phone call." She said politely. "You can pick it up at the nurses station."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Peter got to the phone and it was Sophie.  
  
"Hello?" peter asked.  
  
"Hey sweetie!" Sophie said warmly.  
  
"Oh Hi Sophie." He said to her.  
  
"Anne Marie just wanted to tell you good night." Sophie said.  
  
"Put her on." Peter said cheering up.  
  
"Dada." Anne Marie said into the phone.  
  
"That's right!" Peter said happily. "Goodnight baby, I love you." He said.  
  
Sophie got back on and the two hung up. Peter knew it would be a long night.  
  
  
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER.  
  
HOLIDAY INN- ROOM 199  
  
Shelby got up. She looked across the room at the other bed that scott was sleeping on (They didn't want to sleep in same beds yet, mainly the whole step-parent thing remember) She watched his bare chest rise and fall. She got up and walked over.  
  
"I love you," she whispered in his ear. He made a happy sleeping sound and snuggled into his blankets some more.  
  
"Shelby." He said dreaming. "I love you too."  
  
Shelby smiled, even in his dreams he thought of her. She went to make some coffee. As she was putting the coffee filter in Scott woke up.  
  
"Hey Shel." He said sleepily.   
  
"Good morning Scott." She said as she went back to sit on his bed.   
  
"Well this is it isn't it? For the meantime I mean. You're going back to your school and I'm going back to mine." He said sadly.  
  
Shelby was saddened to. Over the last 4 days it had been so wonderful having Scott there, his arms wrapped around her, whispering little things in her ear. She hadn't wanted to think of them leaving each other again. But they had to. Both wanted the same thing, to love each other and to be together, but also different things to, Scott with his sports, and Shelby with her law career. They needed to be separated at the moment to get their careers going.   
  
"Scott, I don't want to leave you..." she said .  
  
"But we have to." He finished her thoughts.  
  
He came over and Hugged shelby. And for the first time in a long time she cried with him. It hurt so bad to leave each other again.  
  
MEANWHILE IN THE INN'S DINER  
  
Daisy and Ezra were sitting down for donuts and hot chocolate.  
  
"Promise to write?" she asked him.  
  
"I promise, and you have to e-mail me when you get there." Ezra said in reply.  
  
"Okay." She said taking a sip of her cocoa. "I wish you and Scott could have visited horizon while you were up here." She said "That was the second reason you came up isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, but Katherine said that one of the students tried to commit suicide and was in pretty bad shape. So we couldn't go. Peter and Sophie wouldn't have had the time." Ezra said with a very strong hint of disappointment.  
  
"It's so much still the same Ez. It's unbelieveable." Daisy said looking at her watch. "Man we need to go. Plane comes in 2 hours and it takes a half hour to get to the airport. Come on." She said as the two got up quickly.  
  
THE AIRPORT  
  
Scott and Ezra kissed the girls goodbye as they headed onto their plane.  
  
"Bye Shelby, Bye Daisy." They both said as they headed to the enterance way.  
  
"Bye guys." They said waving.  
  
The girls started walking again.   
  
"Flight 234 to Syracuse, New York now boarding." The airport announcer said over the speaker.  
  
"That's me." Shelby said as she and Daisy hugged and gave each other a friendly kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Bye." She said. "Don't forget to write, Call me before you go to Auzzie." She said hurrying towards the gate with her ticket.  
  
"I will. Bye Shelby." Daisy said as she started to walk away. It was time for her to leave to.  
  
BACK AT HORIZON  
  
BOY'S CLIFFHANGERS DORM  
  
Jacob looked in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes from not being able to sleep at all in the last almost 5 days. Jamie had never stayed at the hospitol so long before. And Peter and Sophie had said she would be staying for at least another 2 days because her blood levels weren't up high enough yet. He hated it, and being on shuns made it worse.  
  
He didn't want to be alone. He wanted to be with his sister in the hospital. He had to do something. Peter and Sophie and everyone were watching him like a hawk since he had been acting weird since that day. Jacob looked at the razor blade in his hands, he was going to cut himself to.  
  
But Jacob wasn't like his sister. He stared at the blade for what seamed like forever. Imagining what it would feel like when it hit his skin.   
  
"Man how can she do this to herself?" he asked trying once again to gain up enough courage to cut himself.  
  
Jacob was so busy trying to cut himself that he didn't hear Peter walk in and come towards the bathroom.  
  
"Jacob what are you doing?" Peter asked suddenly fearing for the worst.  
  
Jacob stared at him blankly, words still not registering completely in his brain. It was like a drug that took days to get out of your system, ones that affect your brain so it can only carry out basic life functions like breathing and nothing else.  
  
"Jacob, were you trying to cut?" Peter asked taking the razor blade (one that Jacob just gave to him).  
  
"Yeah." He said then shaked his head. "But I couldn't do it."  
  
Peter looked at Jacob's eyes. Tears were forming in them.  
  
"How can she do it Peter? How? Doesn't it hurt." Jacob asked desperate for answers that no one, not even Jamie could give him.  
  
"I don't know Jacob." Peter said. "I just don't know."  
  
"Doesn't anyone know?" Jacob asked.  
  
"Not really Jacob. It's just human nature I guess." Peter said. 'Pain is something that people think theycan control, and maybe that's why Jamie cuts." Peter said.   
  
Jacob didn't say anything just went to lay on his bed.   
  
"I'm going to call Andy to come and watch you Jacob okay?"  
  
"I don't want to be alone." Was Jacobs only reply as he closed his eyes and started crying.  
  
  
THE NEXT DAY  
  
A car pulled in the circle driveway of Mt. Horizon high School. It was a dark blue neon. A 67-year-old man stepped out of the car. He was leaning in a cane, and on top of his bald head was a black felt hat. His name was Paul Becker.  
  
  
Sophie and Jamie were sitting in the lodge, Jamie had been aloud to come back sooner than expected because the doctors had been told about Jacobs reaction, and like Peter and Sophie had feared for him. But Jamie's wrists were still covered with gauze to cover the stitches that were there.  
  
"Sophie," Rylan said coming back with Anne Marie, the two had gone to get a snack.  
"Someone's here to see you."  
  
"Who, Where?" Sophie asked curiously.  
  
"He didn't give me his name, but he's right over there." Rylan said pointing towards the staircase to a man taking of a hat.  
  
"Oh my God." Sophie said in a voice that wasn't fully recognized by either of the girls. 'It's....It's my father." She said taking Anne Marie.  
  
There were no happy little running towards each other scene with out stretched arms. Sophie just turned and walked out of the room  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
In the next chapter: Why is Sophie so cold to her father, Jeff gets hurt on a quest and guess who comes to the rescue.  
  
Also coming soon: Aiken's story. What happened to Aiken before Horizon? Why is he so mad at his father? What did the letter say? All these answers revealed.   



	9. Chapter 8- Trouble and teamwork

A New Horizon- Chapter 8- Trouble and Teamwork  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any old HG characters. But I do own all the new ones.  
  
In this chapter: Your answer to why Sophie reacts to her father like she did. Jeff gets hurt. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAHWe find out also one reason why Sophie started using drugs.  
  
Introduced in this chapter are:  
-Jill, the mail lady and Jeff's wife  
-Mark Becker- Sophie's older brother  
-Paul Becker- Sophie's father  
-Elaina- Sophie's grandmother  
  
  
Peter walked down the hall to his office. It had been a busy day. The pipes were leaking in the Ridge Runners dorm and water had gone all over the place. He and some of the other male staff workers had fixed it. But it had been tiring work and all Peter wanted to do was go to his office and fall asleep. As he got closer he heard crying.  
  
Peter opened his office door. The plaee had been trashed. Pillows and Papers were all over the floor. Peter looked at the mess and around the room. He saw Sophie crying on the couch and went over to her.  
  
"Sophie are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"He had the nerve to come here." Sophie said. "After all that he comes here."  
  
"Who came here Soph, who's here?" Peter asked confused.  
  
"My father Peter. My father is here." Sophie said bitterly.  
  
"I thought you said he was dead?"  
  
"He is in my mind."  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
Young Sophie Becker sat on the porch of her family's country house. She was only 8 years old. With her hair in pigtails and wearing overalls she stood with her brother Mark. Mark was older than she was, he was 12. He was holding her hand. Mark always watched out for Sophie. They were really close.  
  
Paul Becker, Sophie and Marks father, got into a black car.  
  
"Bye Daddy." Sophie yelled to her father. "I love you."  
  
There wa no response from the older man and the young girl started to cry. Tears running down her dirty face. Elaina Becker, the children's grandmother came out.  
  
"Hush Child." The kind woman said as she bent down to hug Sophie. Mark stayed away.  
  
"I hate him." Mark said.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
"He left when I was 8 Peter. My mother died and he left shortly afterwards. Mark, my brother hated him for it. Until he died he hated him." Sophie said.  
  
"So why do you think he came now?" Peter asked, he strangely wanted to meet his father-in-law.  
  
"Mark committed suicide 19 years ago today." Sophie said softly.  
  
19 years ago.  
  
Mark's life had been slipping down hill ever since Grandma Elaina had died. She was the only thing Mark had left. Other than Sophie, that is. Mark loved his little sister with all his heart and soul. She meant the world to him. She had since their father had left to live with another woman when Mark was 13. Mark had never told Sophie the reason why their father had left. It would have crushed her.  
  
Mark looked at the gun on the table. Since last week when he got a letter from his father he had been contimplating suicide. In the letter his father showed no remorse for what he had done to either of his children, bus said that he didn't class them as his children anymore, that they would not be mentioned in his will or anything.  
  
Mark knew he shouldn't have let his father push those buttons. But mostly it was for Sophie. He knew she always held to the hope that their father would come back. That everything would be okay and that they would be a family again.   
  
He wrote the letter to Sophie.  
  
"Dear Sis,  
  
You know I live you with all my heart and soul. You have been my life for many years now. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you. But I can't live like this any longer. I know I've hurt you by lying to you all these years. And hurting you is the worst thing I could ever thing of doing in my life. I know it will hurt you when you find this letter. But it's something that I need to do for myself. Paul, our father is a... well words can't explain what I feel about him.   
I will miss you Sophie, I will miss you more than anything in the world. I hope you know that. But I've lied to you to protect you all these years. Dad left for another woman. I didn't have the heart to tell you. I'm sorry, and I hope you forgive me for what I'm doing. Well I need to end this before I decide otherwise.  
  
Love, Your Bother  
Mark   
P.S. Sophie make the best of your life, I don't want you to lose your way. Get back on track for me will ya?"  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
OUTSIDE  
  
Katherine looked over the group of Cliffhangers. It would be her first quest alone with them. Of course Jeff was with her, but you know Jeff. He can get hurt tying his shoelaces.  
  
"Does everyone have there stuff packed?" Katherine asked.  
  
The group was ready. They started walking and were about 30 minutes from camp when the complaining started.  
  
'Do we have to do this Kat?" Alley whined. "Jamie doesn't so why should we?"  
  
"Jamie's been in the hospital for a week Alley. Show some sympathy." Andy said.  
  
"Why should I, it was her fault she was stupid enough to cut herself. Why should I give her any sympathy?" Alley said bitterly.  
  
"Hey." Jacob said stopping abruptly. 'That's my sister your talking about you know."  
  
"So. What should I care." Alley said.  
  
"I don't know what your problem is Alley but please stop it or you'll be on restriction the minute we get back to Horizon." Katherine said irritated with the high strung emotions of the groups within the first few minutes of the trip.  
  
"This is gonna be a long weekend." Aiken said under his breath.  
  
The group started walking again.  
  
  
FOREST CLEARING  
  
The group had been walking for a couple of hours now. Finally Katherine decided to set up camp.  
  
"Okay everyone, you can start unpacking. Guys in one tent, Girls in the other. I hope you brought warm clothes, it's going to be a cold night."  
  
"Oh shucks, there goes my mini skirt and tank top idea." Alley said sarcastically.  
  
Katherine shrugged off the comment but Aiken gave her a cold, "you better shut up now" stare.  
  
Alley went back to unpacking. No one was talking to each other. The whole atmosphere was tense. Jeff had gone to get fresh water from the river about 5 minutes away. Through the whole thing no one noticed he was gone.  
  
The group was shocked out of their silence by a scream.  
  
"Oh my god that's Jeff!" Katherine shouted to the Cliffhangers.  
  
The group started to run to the river.  
  
MEANWHILE BACK IN PETER'S OFFICE  
  
"So you think your father caused your brother to kill himself." Peter asked.  
  
"You're darn right I do. Mark even said it in his letter that Paul, or dad was what caused him to contemplate and carry out his suicide." Sophie said.  
  
"I was a bit rowdy after Grandma Elaina died. That's when I started running Peter." Sophie said. "But I knew that Mark would always be there to welcome me back with open arms, I always had him there. But when he died I couldn't help myself any more. I got depressed and that's when I turned to the drugs." Sophie said sadly.  
  
"Don't you think you should give your father a chance to explain? About why he's here and what he did? Maybe he wants to apologize." Peter said.  
  
"I guess I should give him a chance shouldn't I?" Sophie said. "I mean what example would I be setting for the kids if I didn't face my own problem when we expect them to face theirs?"  
  
With these words of self discovery Sophie got up and went outside. She was surprised to see her father standing there.  
  
"Sophie, we need to talk." Were his first words to her in over 35 years.  
  
THE DINNING HALL  
  
Sophie and her father sat down over a cup of coffee. Sophie hadn't seen or heard from him since she was 8 years old.  
  
"Sophie do you know why I came here?" Paul asked.  
  
'To ruin my life again?' Sophie thought, but bit back the words. "No why?" she said instead.  
  
"I'm dying Sophie. I'm sick. I've had cancer for a little over a year now. I'm not expected to live much longer." He said.  
  
"And you came here for that. Am I suppose to be sympathetic?" Sophie asked bitterly. "I don't even think of you as my father. In my mind you were dead 35 years ago."  
  
Mr. Becker's face showed the signs of his illness, and also the blunt of her words. He knew they were true. "I don't want sympathy or forgiveness from you Sophie." Paul said. "I know you can never forgive me for what I've done."  
  
"Your right about that one." Sophie said through her teeth.  
  
"I've been looking back on my mistakes over the years Sophie. I know there are a lot of them. But what I did to you and your brother was wrong. I know that. And I'm sorry. And I know you blame me for Marks death. Maybe I am responsible. But I acknowledge that Sophie. And I know that I couldn't die peacefully without saying that to you." Paul said and stood up.  
  
"Well it's been good seeing you. I should be going." The old man said as he headed towards the door.  
  
"It was good seeing you to." Sophie said, knowing that would make things better, it wasn't forgiveness but it was close enough.   
  
The old man smiled as he walked away.  
  
THE RIVER  
  
Andy was the fastest runner and got to the river bank first. Jeff was there holding his arm. Blood was gushing out of it and the water near him was tinting Red.  
  
"Oh My God." Rylan said, she looked like she was going to throw up.  
  
"Jeff what happened?" Katherine asked hurridly.  
  
"I fell down the bank and broke my arm." Jeff said. "The bone popped out."  
  
"Let me see your arm." Katherine said.  
  
Rylan made the mistake of looking at his arm. She turn around and threw up.  
  
Alley took action because Katherine was shocked too.  
  
"Jacob, take care of Rylan." Alley ordered. "Aiken and Andy get the Radio and the First aid kit. NOW."  
  
The 3 guys did as they were told.  
  
"Here." Aiken said thrusting the First aid kit at her.  
  
"Aiken, do you know how to set a bone? Didn't Peter teach you?" she asked  
  
"Yeah let me do it." Aiken said helping Alley.  
  
"Andy, call Horizon. Ask for Jill or Peter or someone. Tell them we need medical help now."  
  
Aiken was setting and wrapping Jeff's arm.   
  
"Tell them to hurry Andy. He's lost a lot of blood and he's slipping out of consciousness." Katherine said trying to regain some composer.  
  
Andy called the school and the group sat down to wait.  
  
15 MINUTES LATER  
  
"You guys that's the helicopter." Rylan said hearing the chopping of the blades.  
  
Jeff was unconscious by now. The med team rushed over to him  
  
"How long has he been like this?" one of them, a woman, asked.  
  
"About 10 minutes." Katherine said. "Is he going to be okay?"  
  
"We can't tell until we know how much blood he's lost. Do you want us to take you to the hospital with us?" the other, a man, asked.  
  
Katherine looked at the group. "Aiken, Alley, you two are in charge. I want you to get back to horizon as quickly as possible. Take the ridge path. It'll take about 45 minutes to get back from here using that route." Katherine told them getting in.  
  
"Got it." Alley and Aiken said at the same time as they got the rest of the Cliffhangers in order.  
  
WHEN THE GROUP ARRIVES AT HORIZON  
  
Jill ran up to the group as soon as they got there. "Jeff, is he okay? Where is he?" she asked hysterically.  
  
"They took him to the hospital. They can't tell how bad he is until he gets there. He lost a lot of blood." Aiken explained to her and Peter.  
  
"Come on Jill I'll take you there." Peter said taking the arm of the now hysterical wife of Jeff.  
  
A FEW DAYS LATER  
  
Jeff was discharged from the hospital. He had lost a lot of blood but after 2 transfusions he was ready to go back. He only had a broken arm now. The group was there waiting for him as he came back.  
  
"Thanks guys. You probably saved my life." Jeff said.  
  
"No problem man." Aiken said.  
  
"Yeah it was actually kind of fun." Andy said.  
  
"Sorry I missed it." Jamie said sheepishly.  
  
"I found it a very learning experience. " Alley said laughing.  
  
"Blood and bones don't mix." Rylan said to everyone.  
  
"And watch where you step next time." Jacob said laughin.  
  
THE END  
  
  



	10. Chapter 9- Happy Halloween

A New Horizon-Chapter 9- A Horizon Halloween  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original HG characters. I just do this to keep sane now that HG has been.. CANCELED *banging head against computer in frustration and denial* But I do own all the new peoples!  
  
In this Chapter: A Horizon Scary Story. A lot of really funny stuff happens.  
  
Apology: Sorry if it kind of sucks but somewhere along the way my ambition kind of suffered.  
  
Monday October 31,2005  
  
It's Halloween at Horizon. They are, thanks to Jacob, having their first ever Halloween Party. The cliffhangers are all sitting in the Gazebo outside. Peter and Sophie told them to stay there while they checked on the other students. The Cliffhangers had been singled out by Peter to stay outside because they were "different".  
  
"What is this all about?" Rylan asked, adjusting her Bunny ears. She had dressed as the Easter Rabbit because she was the last one to pick.  
  
"Because we're special." Andy said sarcastically, He was a firefighter for Halloween.  
  
"Well Personally I don't want to feel Special" Jamie said with a sneer as she pulled a Twix bar out of the pocket of her School Uniform Jumper, she was a prep school reject (think Brittany Spears).  
  
Just then a loud screeching noise was heard. Alley Jumped.  
  
"Wha... What was that?" Alley said scared.   
  
"I don't know." Aiken said, holding Alley's hand and trying to comfort her.  
  
"I don't know either. But are any of you guys getting cold?" Jacob asked shivering.  
  
"Yeah." Rylan said. "Maybe someone should light the fire."   
  
Aiken pulled out a book of matches from his Jacket Pocket. He was supposed to be an undertaker. He lit the fire and the flames casted shadows on the ground.  
  
"Hey guys." Peter said coming over. He was a clown.  
  
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Sophie said pulling some white candles out of her witch costume.  
  
"Guys, what are we doing out here?" Aiken asked, he knew but was playing along.  
  
"We're coming to that Aiken." Sophie said smiling.  
  
Sophie handed a white candle to each of the 6. Then she gave one to Peter and Kat.  
She lit hers and then had the others light theirs.  
  
"These candles," Peter said to them, barely in a whisper "Represent the spirits of the people who roam these mountains."   
  
"What?" Alley asked scared.  
  
"It is said by a lot of the people around here that the Cliffhangers are a special group of the people of Horizon." Sophie began. "The legend started some 10 to 15 years ago."   
  
There was an eerie silence from the Cliffhangers.  
  
"When I assigned you to the Cliffhangers group I knew you all needed to be here. I know I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but Cliffhangers have always been the group that I liked the most." Peter said.  
  
"Along time ago, Native American's roamed this area, from here to the end of the ridge. They had many traditions. One was of the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit exists over all of us. It watches our every move. They also believe in spirit guides. Animals or People that appear to us through visions to help us reach our destinations in life." Peter continued,  
  
"Everyone has a spirit guide. But the at least one of our cliffhangers every year has had very strong visions in their experiences here. It's in your background." Sophie said.  
  
"Juliet Waborne was one of them." Peter said. "And probably the most evident of all." He paused for a moment to add to the effect. "The year before she Graduated Juliet got lost. She fell into a hole, an underground cave actually."   
  
The group looked at Peter and Sophie. "We couldn't find her and had to call search and rescue. In the cave Juliet found the bones of an Indian girl. The girl had fallen into the cave long ago and died."  
  
There were hushed whispers by the group.  
  
"Her bones are buried on these grounds, right over there." Peter said pointing to the statue of the Mother and Baby bear.  
  
"When we found Juliet she had a story to tell. The indian girls spirit had talked to her and had kept her alive. This spirit changed Juliet's life." Sophie said.  
  
Just then the fire when out. When Aiken lit the fire again Peter and Sophie were gone. In their spaces were 2 roses. Roses didn't grow this time of the year and the Cliffhangers wondered where they were.  
  
"Peter. Sophie. This isn't funny!" Rylan yelled. She had a huge fear of being alone.  
  
"Calm down guys." Aiken said playing them wonderfully. "They have to be here somewhere."  
  
"I don't want to calm down." Jamie said getting up.  
  
"Lets go look for them." Aiken suggested.  
  
"Where? Huh? The spirit took them." Alley said scared.  
  
"Alley, that's just a story." Aiken said. "Don't fall for it too. Now come on guys."  
  
The group followed Aiken in the dark. The area was pitch black. Soon something grabbed Jacob and he screamed. That's when Peter and Sophie popped out of the shadows. They were laughing along with Aiken hysterically.  
  
"You guys are evil!" Alley said.  
  
"Aren't we," Sophie said, the contacts she had put in her eyes glowing red.  
  
"Dude that was awesome!" Andy said, he never knew Peter and Sophie had it in them.  
  
"That was NOT funny." Alley said seriously.  
  
"Come on guys, lets go back to the gazebo." Peter said and the group followed.  
  
When they got there everyone relaxed again. The whole thing once they thought of it had been funny. They had let themselves be tricked by Peter and Sophie.  
  
"Anyone want a starburst?" Peter asked throwing Sophie a pack from his bag.  
  
The group had some candy and Peter and Sophie started talking to them again.  
  
"You guys, a lot of things have happened to Cliffhangers in these mountains. The whole story about Juliet was true." Peter said. "And the Cliffhangers boys dorm is believed to be haunted.  
  
"What?" The guys all asked. Trying to keep up a brave front. To find out your room was haunted would terrify anyone.  
  
"A boy named Isaac once committed suicide in your bathroom. Some of the cliffhangers at the time, Scott, Ezra, Auggie, and David, say that the place is haunted."  
  
"No way." Aiken said, being sucked into this one.  
  
"You mean when I pee, he's watching?" Jacob said grossed out.  
  
"Sure our ghost has to be a pervert!" Andy said laughing.  
  
A LITTLE BIT LATER  
  
The group was heading back to the dorms. Maybe it was all the stories that had been told tonight or something. But Alley felt a sudden chill.  
  
"Does anyone else feel that?" She asked.  
  
"Feel what Alley?" Jacob said fixing his M&M costume (hey it's his favorite candy)  
  
"It just got cold." Alley said to them.  
  
"No it didn't Alley." The group said looking at her like she was crazy.  
  
Alley bent down to adjust her "glass slipper" she was supposed to be Cinderella tonight. That's when she heard her name called.  
  
"Alley." A voice whispered  
  
"Who called me?" Alley asked the group who was a little away from her.  
  
"No one called you Alley." Andy said to her.  
  
"Alley." The voice called again.  
  
"Guys stop it. That's not funny." Alley said angrely.  
  
"Sstop what? We aren't doing anything Al." Rylan said.  
  
That's when it hit her. It was Adam. She looked around for him and saw him near the bear statue.  
  
"Guys, I'll be there in a few." Alley said.  
  
"Okay." Rylan said as they headed back.  
  
Unknown to Alley, Aiken stayed behind to look out for her.  
  
Alley walked over to the statue. Adam was there putting a flower on the grave of the Indian girl.  
  
"Why are you here Adam?" Alley asked.  
  
"It's Halloween Al." He said "Um DUH!"  
  
"So you thought you'd take time out of your busy schedule to freak me out?" Alley asked bitterly.  
  
"Truthfully yes.' Adam said with his usual sick sense of humor. "Take my hand Alley." He said to her putting out his hand.  
  
Alley touched his hand and then pulled away. "Your cold Adam." She said scared.  
  
He looked at her sadly. "What do you expect Alley. I am dead you know."  
  
Reality hit Alley like a ton of bricks. She forgot that everytime she saw him. "Why are you doing this Adam?" she asked suddenly serious.  
  
"Doing what Al?" Adam asked innocently. "Other than liking to see you act crazy? He laughed at that part.  
  
"Keep coming here." She asked. 'Why? What is so special that you have to come and torture me like this?"  
  
"Torture you Alley? Is that what you think this is." Adam asked sadly, leaning against the bear statue. "I came because I thought you wanted to see me. I'll leave then." He said and started to walk away.  
  
"Adam wait." Alley shouted after him.  
  
Adam turned around and saw Aiken coming up to Alley. He knew he had to leave.  
  
"Alley someone's coming." Adam said.   
  
"Adam I'm sorry." Alley said blowing a kiss to her brother.  
  
"It's not your fault you're not ready. I thought you were, after that clown guy's speech." Adam said (clown guy-Peter). "But I guess I was wrong." Adam said and disappeared.  
  
"Alley are you okay?" Aiken rushed up to her and hugged her.  
  
"What?!?!" she asked.  
  
"You were talking to yourself Alley." Aiken said. I got worried.  
  
"I was talking to Adam for your information. And he left because of you." Alley said bitterly.  
  
"I'm sorry." Aiken siad hugging Alley tighter.  
  
She hugged him back.  
  
"Ready to go back to your castle Cinderella?" Aiken asked after a while.  
  
"I guess Prince Charming." Alley said.  
  
"I don't exactly fit that part." Aiken said looking at his outfit.  
  
"True, but you come to my rescue every time." Alley whispered to him and kissed him.  
  
The two started walking back when Alley saw the flower on the girl's grave. She picked it up.  
  
"Happy Halloween Adam.' She said as she picked it up. She knew it was for her.  
  
"Happy Halloween Everyone!" Aiken shouted loudly. Practically the whole school heard him. His voice echoed in the mountains. They walked into their dorms and went to sleep.  
  
THE END  
  
P.S. Sorry this was so kinda bad. I wanted to write about Halloween but my idea didn't come out that great. Hope you got the gist of it :). The next installment will be much much better. Sorry If I disappointed you.  
  
  



	11. Chapter 10- Hey, Thanks!

A New Horizon- Chapter 10- Hey Thanks (Thanksgiving at Horizon)  
  
Disclaimer- I do not own any old Higher Ground charaters. But I do own all the new ones.   
  
Hey Guys, Sorry this has taken so long, almost a month. But I had a HUGE social History project on the Holocaust. It was worth 75% of our grade and it took up like all my time. Plus I was starting a new Higher Ground site- http://www.geocities.com/numberonehighergroundfan  
  
In this Chapter- The time you've all been waiting for: Wedding plans are announced!!!  
  
SAN FRANSISCO CA.- The day before thanksgiving- 5:30 p.m.  
  
"Auggie, I don't know if I can do this." Juliet whispered nervously to her fiancé.  
"I mean my mother hates your parents. And the wedding, God she's gonna flip out."  
  
Auggie came over and hugged her. "Jules, Honey, we've put this off for over a month. We should have been screaming it to the whole world but we've kept it a secret. I don't want to anymore." Auggie said.  
  
"I know, I know." Juliet said as she took off the apron she was wearing as she stuck the Turkey in the oven.  
  
MOUNT HORIZON  
  
Aiken and Jamie were in the lodge. Cutting our paper turkeys to use as a centerpiece for their "thanksgiving" dinner. It was only the cliffhangers who were still at Horizon. Aiken's grandparents were sick and didn't want him coming home and catching what they had. Ally didn't have a home to go back to, since she was at Horizon social services hadn't bothered to place her at a home to come back to. Jamie and Jacob had refused to go home, Andy didn't want to put pressure on having his foster parents explain about him like they had to every year. And Rylan, she stayed because the others had stayed.  
  
"I hate big Holidays." Jamie said suddenly.  
  
"How can you hate thanksgiving?" Aiken asked.  
  
"I didn't say I hated Thanksgiving." Jamie corrected " I said I hated holidays in general."  
  
"Why is that?"   
  
"Family coming, acting all cheerful when you know they are at each others throats. And everyone has to have on a pasted fake smile so no one things their weird." Jamie said bitterly.  
  
Aiken looked at her astonished. He remembered thanksgiving with his grandparents. Turkey, stuffing, all that stuff. And smiles and all that too. But he remembered the years that he didn't eat on thanksgiving, the years he had spent with his father. He couldn't imagine family being like Jamie had described though.  
  
"It's really like that at your house?" Aiken asked. Jamie barely ever let people glimpse into her home life like that.  
  
Jamie laughed. "Yeah. Once after mom and dad got separated dad came over with a friend from work, Molly, we had known her for years, her and dad had been friends since they were kids. Well mom thought otherwise, like they were going out and she went ballistic. She went around with this little smile until dinner. Then she threw the gravy at him." She said bitterly. "Dad didn't do anything he wasn't like that. Just wiped his face and shrugged it off. But he hasn't come with anyone since."  
  
"Wow. All we do at thanksgiving is eat." Aiken laughed as Peter came up to them.  
  
"Guys, Dinner time." He shouted to the two as he stepped back outside.  
  
  
Outside the air was cold. It was beginning to snow. Peter had always loved the snow. And winter in the mountains was always beautiful. He looked at the footprints in the fresh snow. Anthony had been playing in it.  
  
"Dad." He heard Anthony shout.  
  
Peter turned around to be met with a snowball to the chest. He laughed and threw one back at his son. Feelings of family washed over him and he knew he would have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  
  
  
LATER THAT NIGHT- GIRLS DORM  
  
Rylan, Ally, and Jamie sat on Rylan's bed in their pajamas. They were going to gossip about all the other students who had left but after a while their conversation had gotten sidetracked.  
  
"Have you guys seen John and Amy? I'm surprised Peter and Sophie haven't caught onto them yet." Ally said laughing.  
  
"I know. How many trips to the wood shed can you make?" Jamie said laughing to.  
  
Rylan laughed to. She really didn't care about the whole guy thing, seeing that there wasn't one for her at the school.  
  
"Hey Ry. You're the only one of us that doesn't like someone. Or hasn't dished it out yet. Come on tell us." Jamie said eagerly.  
  
"Yeah I mean I am totally in love with Aiken." Alley said dreamily.  
  
"And I kinda like Andy." Jamie said shyly.  
  
Rylan sighed and looked at the ceiling. "There's no one. I mean I'm still trying to face my past. A guy isn't what I need right now." She said seriously.  
  
"Uh huh. But you know you want one." The two said to her slyly.  
  
"Yeah but not any of the guys here right now." Rylan said trying to get off the subject.  
  
The girls sensed Rylan's discomfort on the subject and got off of it. That's when the conversation started getting more serious.  
  
"Ry, can I ask you a question?" Ally asked seriously.  
  
"Sure." Rylan said.  
  
"Do you, um... ever um... wish that you did remember what happened in your past? Like do you ever wish you could have memories like everyone else does?" Alley asked. She had always wondered.  
  
"Yeah. I mean it makes me different and I don't want to be different, It's hard like right now, like the holidays. When people are always talking about how this happened one Thanksgiving and how that happened one Christmas. And I have nothing to say because I don't have any memories of it at all." She said seriously. A hint of sadness was in her voice.  
  
"Well we'll just have to make our own memories now won't we." A voice said from the door.  
  
It was Sophie, she had over heard the whole conversation. The girls looked at her excitedly. They wanted to know what she was scheming up in her mind.  
  
SAN FRANSISCO- Thanksgiving day, 2005- NOON  
  
Juliet and Auggie sat nervously watching the parade on t.v.. Their parents would soon be arriving. And today was the day of their big announcement. Juliet pressed down the pleats of her new dress, a pinkish orange one she had bought especially for this occasion.  
  
"Do you think we should call peter and Sophie and tell them that we're telling?" she said nervously, all the words mashed together.  
  
"If it will make you feel better Jules. Maybe Sophie can calm you down." Auggie said handing her the phone.  
  
Juliet dialed the number for Horizon. Her hands were trembling, she was so nervous.  
  
AT HORIZON- Peter and Sophie's office- 12:10 pm.  
  
Sophie was trying to button the top button on the back of her dress. They were trying to make the Thanksgiving meal at Horizon like any other that you would have at home. That meant dressing up along with having the food. Just as she buttoned up the phone rang.  
  
"Hello, Mount Horizon. Sophie Becker-Scarbrow speaking." Sophie said in her formal voice.  
  
"Hey Sophie. It's Juliet." Juliet said in a hurry.  
  
Sophie worried of the tone of Juliets voice. "Juliet what's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asked concerned.  
  
"We're suppose to be breaking the news to our parents today and I don't think I can do it." Juliet choked. "I mean my mother, she's awful. And I don't want her disappointment on my shoulders."   
  
Sophie took a seat. She searched for the words to try to say to Juliet to make her feel better. Juliet had always been sensitive. And her mother could be a real witch. But Juliet and Auggie had loved each other for so long. They needed this to happen.  
  
"Oh Juliet, it will be fine. You and Auggie are perfect for each other. And anyone, who can't see that, like your mother, will probably never see that." Sophie hoped those words would work.  
  
"Yeah I know." Juliet said the words calming her down. "Um.... I've got to go." She said. "Auggie's parents are here."  
  
LATER THAT DAY- SAN FRANSICO  
  
Auggie, Juliet and their parents were sitting around the dinner table. Auggie hithis spoon against his glass. Everyone looked up at him.  
  
"Mama, papa, Mrs. Wayborne, we have something to tell you."  
  
"What is it my son?" Auggie's mother asked.  
  
"Well... Juliet and I are getting married." He said excitedly.  
  
"Yeah, we've been engaged for over a month!" Juliet said happily as she saw the joy on her new mother and father in law's faces. She didn't even look at her mom's face she didn't want to see the disappointment.  
  
"We knew you would. Welcome to the family officially Juliet." Auggie's father said and went over to hug his new daughter.  
  
"This is wonderful. When is the wedding?"   
  
"Yeah when is this thing going to happen." Mrs. Wayborne said bored and almost bitterly.  
  
"Don't worry about her Juliet, look at how happy my parents are." Auggie whispered to her.   
  
"We were thinking about maybe March or April. Where it's still winter but you can use spring colors." Juliet said happily.  
  
"Well that's great." Auggie's mother said.  
  
The family went back to eating as Mrs. Wayborne excused herself.  
  
HORIZON- 2:00 PM. THANKSGIVING DAY.  
  
The cliffhangers and the Scarbrows (Peter, Sophie, Anthony, and Anne Marie) were sitting around one of the tables in the dinning hall.  
  
"I'd like to thank everyone who is here today." Peter said.  
  
"Yeah Hey thanks too." Aiken said. "For putting up with us for more time than anyone else. "  
  
Sophie stood up. "I'd like to make an announcement." She said.  
  
The group looked up. They waited for what Sophie had to say.  
  
"We seam to have a slight problem here." Sophie began. "Last night I over heard some talking and found out that one of you doesn't remember having an actual Thanksgiving."  
  
The group looked at Rylan who blushed brightly. They turned their attention back to Sophie as she began talking again.  
  
"So I thought we might as well let the memories start here right?" Sophie said.  
  
"Right!" Anthony chimed in.  
  
"So I think we should all go around the table and say one thing we are thankful for."   
  
The group let out a groan.  
  
"Anthony, seeing that you seam to have so much to say today, why don't you go first." Peter told his son, getting him back for throwing the snowball.  
  
"I'm thankful that you two adopted me and Annie." He said. "Do I get to pick who goes next?" he asked  
  
Sophie nodded her head. Smiling at her son, she brushed her hands through his hair.  
  
"Okay, I pick um..." he said looking around.  
  
"Come on Anthony, we want to eat here." Aiken said laughing impatiently.  
  
"Okay fine, Aiken. You go." He said.  
  
"I'm thankful that we have enough food to feed a small army here today. So that none of us are going hungry on Thanksgiving." He said remembering the holidays he had spent with his father. "Alley."  
  
"I am thankful for having friends like Aiken that tell me that it's okay to be who I am." She said squeezing Aiken's hand under the table. "Peter."  
  
"I am thankful for my family and for my students here today." He said eyeing especially Sophie, Anthony and Anne Marie. "Sophie."  
  
"I'm thankful for being here, and not on the road." She said. "Rylan."  
  
"I'm thankful for having people that care like you guys do." She said looking at the group. "Jamie."  
  
"I'm thankful for having Jacob as my brother. And to be here instead of home.' She said almost bitterly at the end. "Jacob."  
  
"I'm thankful that we're here so we don't have to hear mom yelling at dad when she's 10 times worse." He said looking secretly at Jamie. "Andy."  
  
"I'm thankful that there are people that care for me." He said.  
  
"Okay. Lets eat already." Aiken said looking at his turkey.  
  
Everyone started eating and saying happy thanks giving, and like as any t.v. show would this installment ends with the screen fading slowly to black.  
  
THE END  
  
To be continued.  
  
In the next chapter- a bit on Andy and Jamie's relationship.   



End file.
